


The Warmth of Winter

by Seyary_Minamoto



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Dadki and Sifmom, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Frigga is not dead, Loki is a smooth jerk, Mutual Pining, everyone's favorite balcony trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 23:59:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2830739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seyary_Minamoto/pseuds/Seyary_Minamoto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon being separated from Thor and the Warriors Three, Loki and Sif are stranded in Jotunheim in the midst of a snow storm. Their best bet for survival is to take cover in a cave, but while Loki can brave the cold temperatures, the same can't be said for Sif. After centuries of pining after each other, finally the oportunity arises for Loki and Sif to succumb to the temptations they have been resisting for far too long. But are they ready to face the consequences their union will bring upon their lives...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Warmth of Winter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nefelokokkygia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nefelokokkygia/gifts).



> I had once toyed with the idea of writing a fic where Loki and Sif got stranded in the middle of a snow storm with no means to fight the cold but each other's warmth. And to my delight, I was provided with the perfect opportunity to explore that plot bunny with this story.
> 
> Now, perhaps I went too far and wrote a crazy long fic, but I can't seem to know how to stop writing once I get started. So one thing led to the next, and well... 32K indeed of Sif and Loki's shenanigans.
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy it, nefelokokkygia! :D Happy Sifki Holidays!

The blizzard blew against them with such force it almost could have wrenched them off their feet. Keeping their footing in the snow was a difficult feat to accomplish, even when they were huddled together as they hiked their way through the snowy slopes of Jotunheim.

Loki gritted his teeth and kept an arm around Sif’s shoulders, ushering her to move along and even pushing her so she would keep up with him. Sif shivered violently against him, the cold chilling her to the very bone. Their group had been warned not to spend much longer in Jotunheim than need be, but complications had arisen during their journey. A powerful, unforeseen snow storm had fallen upon the group of warriors, and it had been so strong that Thor’s shouts for Heimdall had gotten lost in the wind. Not long afterwards, the group had split up accidentally. Thor and the Warriors Three had despaired when Sif and Loki fell through the cracks of Jotunheim’s ice. Loki had yelled through the storm that they would find a way to climb back to the surface, but he wasn’t certain if the others had heard him. After his attempt to communicate with their companions, Loki had helped Sif back on her feet and they had begun the difficult hike through the crack, back to where they had come from.

But by the time Sif and Loki had climbed back to the top of the icy tundra that was Jotunheim, their friends had been nowhere around. The intense cold underground had affected Sif greatly, to Loki’s chagrin, and despite his attempts to encourage her to keep going, she seemed to grow weaker both physically and in willpower. The more he looked at her, the more Loki worried. He didn’t know why he wasn’t affected as by the cold as she was, but he was glad he wasn’t. He could dedicate himself completely to Sif, seeing how she was in the most fragile state Loki had ever seen her in.

“Come now, Sif,” he muttered, biting his lip as he pulled her forward. “We’ll find them…”

“W-we m-might… b-but w-what if they l-l-left...?” Sif asked, her teeth chattering as she spoke.

“They couldn’t possibly have reached Heimdall in the midst of this storm,” said Loki, frowning. “But if they did, we’ll return to Asgard as well once the storm has passed and we’ll see them again by then.”

“W-we need… c-cover, Loki…” Sif whispered, and he gritted his teeth again. He had meant to find his brother, but perhaps Sif’s idea was better. She certainly didn’t look like strong enough to continue braving this ferocious storm.

“Very well. We’ll do that, then…” he replied, still holding her close as he gazed about himself to find a haven from the storm.

Not too far away from where they were stood tall mountains. There seemed to be a crack in one of them, a cave of some sort. Surely that was the safest place they could go to in the middle of the blizzard, or at least, Loki hoped it would be. He sure hoped not to find any ice beasts hidden within the depths of that mountain…

“There’s a cave in those mountains, Sif,” he muttered. “It looks like the best place for us to take shelter in while the storm passes.”

Sif’s only response was a jerk of the head that seemed to be a nod. Loki nodded back and pulled her towards the mountain, walking slowly while talking to her non-stop. He wouldn’t be so talkative, normally, but talking was the best way to keep both her and himself conscious. She hardly ever replied, but she kept moving forward along with him. That was a good sign, at the very least.

The cave still felt cold to Loki once they were inside it, but less so than the outside, where the icy wind kept blowing mercilessly. He only hoped the snow wouldn’t rise to the point where the cave’s entrance would be blocked completely by it.

Sif was shivering violently still, despite they had finally found protection from the storm. She dropped on the cold cave floor, her entire body trembling as she hugged herself, struggling to warm her body up somehow. Loki grimaced at the sight of his companion and glanced around himself desperately, looking for anything he could burn in hopes to use it to warm Sif up properly. There were some twigs on the ground, to his relief and confusion, for he had no idea where twigs of the sort could have come from in a barren land such as Jotunheim, but they weren’t enough to make a proper fire. Luckily, he was as talented a sorcerer as he was. He picked up the twigs and multiplied them magically before setting them down and producing a fire with another spark of magic.

Soon, a bright light illuminated the cave. Sif crawled towards it, somewhat desperately, instantly attracted by the warmth. She settled beside the fireplace, hoping its blazes would serve to defrost her hair and clothes. She was truly freezing.

“There you have it, Sif,” Loki said, approaching her and rubbing her arms harshly with his hands in hopes to warm her up through friction. “We have a fire now, and we aren’t out in the snow anymore. Everything will be fine soon…”

“I-it’s so damn cold, Loki…” Sif muttered, huddling against him instinctively, trying to find warmth through any means. “H-how come aren’t you… a-aren’t you as cold as me…?”

“I… I don’t know, but we should be glad I’m not,” said Loki, smiling weakly.

Sif’s response was a low hum, and she swallowed hard as she continued to shiver against him. Loki sighed and settled next to her, an arm still draped around her shoulders protectively. He had always wondered what it would feel like to hold the shield maiden in his arms, but he hadn’t expected to find out the answer to that question in as extreme a situation as this one.

“You lost your gear when we fell down that crack, didn’t you, Sif?” he whispered to her.

“Y-you saw it for yourself…” Sif muttered. “I don’t have any… anything with me. Not right now”

“Well, you’re fortunate to be stuck with me, of all people,” Loki said, closing his eyes before conjuring his own gear out of thin air. Sif gaped at everything he had procured with wide eyes, and Loki smiled reassuringly before explaining. “Storing objects magically comes in handy quite often.”

“Y-you… smart Trickster…” she whispered, and he smirked proudly.

“Why, thank you. I am quite witty, I’ll say” he said, smiling before reaching out for his sleeping bag.

Sif shivered again when he pulled away, and she watched him nervously as he unfolded his bag. He stretched it out in front of the fire and opened it before giving her a meaningful stare.

“Well? It should help warm you up, don’t you think, Lady Sif?” he said.

Sif gritted her teeth, staring at him uneasily. That was his sleeping bag, after all, and it wouldn’t be appropriate… but her own sleeping bag was probably frozen miles underground, lost somewhere in the depths of Jotunheim, and she wasn’t bound to ever see it ever again. She ought to accept Loki’s proposal for the sake of warming up, but she felt quite uneasy about it.

“I-I don’t think… i-isn’t it a bit… i-i-inappropriate?” Sif asked, and Loki raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t actually mean that, do you?” he asked her. “Sif, you’re freezing. Are you truly going to worry about what’s proper and what isn’t?”

“O-oh, fine, then…” Sif groaned, moving towards the sleeping bag with difficulty. Loki helped her slip into it, and she turned towards the fire, hoping that both the sleeping bag and the fire would aid her in recovering her warmth.

“Honestly, inappropriate…” Loki repeated, smirking. Sif frowned. “Whatever could make you think this was inappropriate, Sif?”

She would have answered him, if only the answer wouldn’t have been as embarrassing to say out loud as it was. How was she supposed to tell Loki that she had always felt ridiculously self-conscious around him? How could she explain that resting inside his sleeping bag almost felt as though she were sharing the same mattress with him? She shivered more, but she wasn’t so sure it was only because of the cold temperature anymore. She wasn’t naïve enough to think so.

She had found Loki fascinating for many centuries now. She hardly understood why, all she knew was that she did. Whenever her mother told her stories about princesses being saved by princes she would be bored out of her mind, for she wouldn’t have wanted to be rescued by someone if she had been in the princesses’ shoes. She’d rather take matters into her own hand… nevertheless, the idea of finding prince hadn’t bothered her as much as being rescued by one. Her mother always insisted that the prince who would save Sif one day would be a golden-haired boy… and Sif had always pictured a slender boy with dark hair instead.

It didn’t hurt that, after many shared experiences through the years they had known each other, Loki had become more alluring to her. She had wanted to blame the hormones for her attraction towards him, but her teenage years had already moved past her and she still couldn’t shake off the spell Loki seemed to unleash upon her senses. She would imagine, more often than she’d like to admit, what it would be like to kiss him, to touch him, to be with him. With the dark haired prince who had only just aided her when she had needed his help most direly. Despite how much she despised the idea of needing saving, it seemed Loki had saved her after all.

“Well?” he repeated, and she winced as she stopped her mind from wandering. Loki was frowning and looking at her in concern, and Sif had almost forgotten what they had been talking about just now.

“It’s merely…” she muttered, recalling the subject of their conversation just in time. “Y-you might need to warm up too, won’t you?”

“It’s quite clear you’re in a worse condition than I am,” said Loki, frowning. “Sif, are you feeling any better yet? Maybe you need…”

“I’ll be fine,” she snapped quickly. “I just… need some time to get warmer, is all. B-but I… I’ll be alright.”

“That’d better be the case,” said Loki, smiling reassuringly at her, “Whatever shall I do if Lady Sif isn’t around to protect me?”

“Indeed, y-you… y-you wimp of a prince,” Sif said, giving him a weak smile as well.

Despite Sif’s response, and her smile, Loki couldn’t help but worry. He had never seen Sif looking as helpless as she did right now. She was always proud and strong, and usually she was the one who would weather through unthinkable obstacles while he lagged behind, trying to keep up with her and the rest of the group. He wasn’t used to the situation being reversed.

“Do you need to get closer to the fire?” Loki asked her. “Or maybe I ought to make the fireplace larger…?”

“I-it’s fine… I already said I’d be… f-f-fine…” Sif muttered, but Loki frowned as he studied her features intently.

“I doubt having blue lips counts as ‘fine’, Lady Sif,” Loki muttered. Sif coughed, or laughed, Loki wasn’t sure which one it was.

“S-stop mocking me…” she whispered.

“It’s no mockery, Sif,” Loki said, moving closer to her. “I’m… I’m actually trying to help you, whether you believe it or not.”

Sif believed it, even though it was common knowledge that nobody should put much worth in the Trickster’s claims. But Loki had been encouraging her to carry on for hours now, doing his best to keep her moving along with him, and he had brought her to safety. She knew better than to distrust his word when she knew he was being earnest.

“I… I know…” Sif said, shivering and shrinking in her frame. “B-but I don’t think I… I need much more care. I’ll be better in… i-in no time. I already feel m-my fingers again, so…”

“Sif,” Loki muttered, sighing.

His hand dropped on her hair, and he brushed off the frost in hopes to help her on some level. Sif shivered under his touch again, and Loki grimaced.

“Still, there are… other ways for you to regain your body heat faster. Ways that might help you stop shivering so much.”

Sif actually laughed this time, and Loki raised an eyebrow.

“E-eager to… t-to take advantage, are you, T-Trickster?”

“Well, why shouldn’t I be?” he replied, with a grin of his own. If she was being defiant, she might be feeling better.

“P-perhaps because… b-because once I unfreeze, I might… m-might chop you to bits” she stuttered.

“Oh, my,” Loki said, smirking now. “Well, I have the suspicion it still might be worth it, whether you chop me up or not.”

“Y-you’re… such a troublemaker…” said Sif, looking at him from below, a subtle smile on her face.

“And I was hoping that trait would make me endearing in your eyes,” Loki said, smiling, and Sif laughed again.

Loki was feeling warmer by now, but not warm enough to feel as comfortable as he did in Asgard. Nevertheless, Sif’s condition was far more worrisome than his own. Despite her teasing behavior earlier, now she closed her eyes tightly and shivered violently again, hugging herself tightly within the sleeping bag.

“T-the… t-the armorm” she said suddenly, and Loki frowned. “I think it’s… it’s making it worse…”

“Cold clothing makes it hard to regain your warmth,” Loki muttered, nodding. “Maybe you ought to…”

“I… I guess,” said Sif, gritting her teeth. “B-but you’ll have… to help me.”

The idea made Loki blush, and it would have made Sif blush as well if only her face hadn’t been too cold for it. But Loki nodded regardless and helped her out of the sleeping bag again, his hands trembling as he placed them over her frozen clothing.

Her cloak and hood were covered with a thick layer of ice. Loki took them off quickly while Sif struggled to remove her arm and shin guards. It was up to Loki to help her with the armor, for her fingers shook too hard for Sif to make use of the necessary strength to remove the breastplate. Loki’s hands also trembled, but he did his best not to let it show as he set the armor aside.

Underneath the metal plates, Sif’s clothes were very thin. Loki frowned and rubbed her fully bare arms again, as she shivered against him.

“You ought to think twice about wearing clothes like these the next time we come to Jotunheim,” he said, as he tucked her into the sleeping bag again.

“T-the next time?” she asked. “I… I don’t think I want to return to this wretched world… e-ever again… I hate cold.”

“Now, now, snow and ice aren’t that bad, so long as you’re not lost in a world consumed by them,” Loki said, still rubbing her arms through the sleeping bag. “Feeling better yet?”

“Maybe,” said Sif, swallowing. “B-but now I… I really could use warm clothes…”

“There are many things we both could use at the moment, Lady Sif,” said Loki, sighing dramatically. “But alas, there’s not much to be done about most of our needs. Not while we’re stuck in this cave, at least.”

“I meant to ask… d-don’t you have any spare clothes… amongst your gear?” she asked. “Anything I might fit into…?”

Loki frowned as he considered her question. The trip hadn’t been supposed to be too long, so he hadn’t packed too many extra clothes, let alone for Sif…

“Would my tunic help?” he asked. “I have one to spare…”

“T-then… yes, that ought to… ought to help indeed,” said Sif, as Loki conjured it and slipped it into the sleeping bag.

Nevertheless, the dry garment wasn’t much use after a while. Sif felt a little better, but she wasn’t warm enough yet to stop shivering. Loki’s hand dropped on her head again, and she glanced up at him.

“Any better yet?” he asked.

“Only a little,” she confessed. “It’s still… too cold”

Loki sighed and swallowed hard, knowing he would tread dangerous grounds by saying this… but it would be better if he suggested it seriously this time around. Sif needed warmth, and so long as she wasn’t completely repulsed by the concept of sharing their body heat, that was the best way to deliver it to her.

“I actually can take being chopped to bits, you know?” he said, surprising her. “Sif… I know this would be inappropriate indeed, and it surely would make you beyond uncomfortable, but I know not of any other ways to help anymore. So, even if it’s not that great an idea…”

Sif lowered her gaze, bashfully. It wasn’t a great idea, but only for reasons that had nothing to do with raising their mutual body heat. Technically, it was probably a great idea. But Sif couldn’t keep to logical thinking when it came to Loki, for her emotions always got in the way. Loki didn’t know how she’d felt about him for so long, and he surely didn’t reciprocate those feelings, or else he might be more embarrassed about this. Sif knew they would be naked together just for the sake of increasing their heat, but she wasn’t sure she could trust herself to avoid doing anything stupid.

“It’s… going to be embarrassing” Sif muttered, and Loki smiled.

“Never been around a naked man before, Lady Sif?” he asked.

“Never been around a naked friend before, rather,” she replied, and Loki flushed again. “I… don’t know if this is going to be… w-well…”

“No need to worry, we can forget this ever happened when we leave Jotunheim,” he said, as he stood up and started to remove his clothes. “I could even use a spell to block your memories, if that…”

“No need,” Sif said quickly, surprising him. “I don’t really need that. I think I won’t… I’ll be able to take the embarrassment, somehow”

“Are you certain of that?” Loki asked, looking at her worriedly, but he was somewhat relieved to hear she didn’t think she’d want to erase the memory of what would happen in this cave.

“It’s necessary, isn’t it?” Sif muttered. “W-we’re… doing this because we must, right? S-so… this way we’ll have better chances to survive…”

“That is true indeed,” Loki said, though that didn’t explain why she wouldn’t want to forget the event. “Do you, uh… need any help with your clothes?”

“I am hardly that helpless, T-Trickster,” said Sif, her harsh refusal contradicting her true desires. She truly wanted him to do it, but she couldn’t be that shameless.

Sif had to crawl out of the sleeping bag shortly to remove every garment, while Loki did the same with his back turned towards her. He never glanced at her, which was somewhat disappointing for Sif, but at least it gave her freedom to stare at his body instead. Her throat started to feel rather dry when she saw his bare back. Something about his build, and the way his muscles contracted as he moved, shedding the rest of his clothing, was starting to make her feel warmer already.

Nevertheless, she slipped into the sleeping bag again and closed her eyes instinctively when she realized Loki was moving towards her. He was slightly more affected by the low temperature now, for he was fully naked in the cold air of the cave, so he rushed into the sleeping bag, trying not to brush against her accidentally in hopes to make the situation less awkward… but awkward it was. Despite his attempts, his body still grazed hers, for the sleeping bag wasn’t supposed to be spacious enough to accommodate two people.

“Y-you can open your eyes now,” Loki said, and Sif did as he told her. She glanced at him nervously, and Loki smiled. “No need to be so insecure, Lady Sif. You said it yourself… it’s necessary.”

“I suppose it is,” Sif said, gulping and turning towards him.

Loki’s hands found her arms again, and he rubbed her skin in hopes to help her regain more warmth. He was surprised when she moved closer to him, far closer than need be, and placed her head against his neck.

“We ought to be c-close together for this to work… right?” she asked, and Loki swallowed as well and nodded.

“Indeed” he replied, his cheek against her forehead as he continued to rub her arms.

The Trickster kept telling himself this was only a matter of necessity. It wasn’t actual intimacy, no matter if it felt like it. No matter how much he liked to think it was intimacy, either. He had dreamt of holding Sif in his arms, just in this manner, but he had always taken that to be a dream and nothing more. It could be nothing more. His father wanted Thor to marry Sif, after all. And he was certain Sif wouldn’t be opposed to that, though it seemed her relationship with Thor, at the moment, was only a good friendship. If she had any form of romantic interest in Asgard’s First Prince, surely she wouldn’t have accepted to huddle naked with Thor’s brother, despite how cold she was. If there was something to be said about Lady Sif, it was that she was loyal and proud. So, surely, she wasn’t betraying herself or anyone else by sharing Loki’s sleeping bag… or at least, Loki wanted to assume as much.

But the more thought he gave the matter, the more his unease and excitement would grow. He had to inch his waist away from her, hoping to keep her from noticing how stiff his manhood was becoming. It had started to react as soon as he suggested, for real, that they’d do this, but he really had wanted to keep his cock from hardening while being close to Sif. She would be disgusted with him for his body’s response to their closeness, he knew it…

But if Sif noticed his erection, it seemed she had elected not to pay it any mind. Her breathing wasn’t as heavy as before, it seemed to Loki, and she wasn’t shivering as violently anymore. Her legs intertwined with his as she sought more warmth. Would she keep from noticing the situation between his legs when they were this close together?

This almost felt like a bad joke to Loki. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Sif was in his arms, naked, and he couldn’t do anything about it other than rub her arms to warm her up. It was a dream come true, and yet he couldn’t make it come true anyways. He’d be despicable if he tried anything on her. She even thought that being in his sleeping bag was inappropriate, how much more inappropriate would it be if he dared succumb to the urge to kiss her?

His hands continued to rub her, and he craved to stop touching her just for the sake of warming her up, and to do it to deliver pleasure instead. His hands slid towards her back, and Sif sighed against him as she tried to stop shivering altogether.

“Is it any help?” he asked, and she smiled weakly.

“S-somewhat… thank you”

“No need to thank me,” he said, smirking despite his face was somewhat flushed. “I’m enjoying myself quite a lot, I must admit.”

“Are you?” she muttered, raising an eyebrow and moving away so she could look at him. “There’s nothing to enjoy, though…”

“Not every day am I as fortunate as to hold the Lady Sif in my arms, though, am I?” he said. “And naked, to boot.”

“N-not… funny,” Sif grunted, poking his stomach with a finger. Loki flinched but laughed regardless. “It’s still so blasted cold, though. When do you think the storm will end?”

“I have no idea,” said Loki. “But it would be quite disappointing if it stopped soon. We only just took off our clothes, we’d have to dress up again…”

“Oh, so you’d rather spend more time naked against me?” Sif asked, and Loki smirked.

“And why wouldn’t I want that?” he asked, and she sighed before dropping against his neck again.

“Well, why not indeed, huh?” she whispered, and Loki frowned, guessing he had gone too far.

“Sif… I didn’t mean it that way. I was only…”

“Teasing, I know. It’s what you do when you’re uneasy, or nervous, or when you want to make someone else uneasy or nervous,” said Sif, smiling. “Never mind. I appreciate it.”

“You do?” Loki asked. “B-because I… I suppose I might have come off as a fool, and I apologize for it. If any of what I’ve said has made you uncomfortable, I apologize profusely.”

“Then you don’t want to be naked against me?” Sif asked, smirking now. “W-well… that’s a bit of a disappointment in itself.”

“Is there no way to win an argument with you, Lady Sif?” he asked, and she laughed again. “Truly, which is it? Do you want me to desire you, or do you not?”

“I want…” Sif started, before shaking her head. “Never mind. What I want isn’t important.”

“It is to me,” Loki said, looking down at her. “If it were in my power to make it happen, you could have anything you want, Sif…”

“Well, then... I want a good meal,” she said, startling and disappointing him. She couldn’t help but look up at him just so she could see the aghast look on his face. “And a big fire to roast a boar in. I’m hungry.”

“I… suppose you are,” he said, an eyebrow twitching.

“I could use some food indeed,” she said, smiling and pressing against him again. “It’s why I want the storm to end already.”

“And not because you want to get away from a naked Trickster?” he asked as his hands stopped rubbing her skin so harshly, his touch growing softer now.

“Should I want to get away from him?” Sif inquired, biting her lower lip. “He doesn’t seem so dangerous to me…”

“No?” Loki asked, smiling a little.

“Disregarding that mishap down in your groin, I doubt it,” she said, smiling back. Loki blushed.

“I… didn’t mean for that to happen. Do excuse me,” he said, lowering his gaze. Sif actually laughed now, and the sound filled the cave. Loki raised an eyebrow, pleased by the sound, and afterwards stared at Sif again.

“It would seem you’re feeling better now, if you can laugh like this…”

“I suppose,” she said, smiling. “You don’t need to excuse yourself, Loki. In fact, it’s actually a relief. I’m glad you find me desirable despite the lousy situation we’re in… or, at the very least, your friend down there does.”

“It’s not just…” he muttered, before holding his tongue last minute. Sif raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not just what?” she asked.

“I…” Loki said, but he didn’t dare tell her what he had instinctively wanted to reply with. Sif didn’t need to know this. He had hidden his attraction towards her for so long… giving it away now would be reasonable, of course, given that they were naked in the same sleeping bag. But he really didn’t want to. Being rejected by Sif wouldn’t sit well with him, and he guessed she would reject him indeed. Why wouldn’t she? What was there about him that she might desire?

“What is it, Loki?” she asked him, her eyes gleaming as she looked at him eagerly. Whatever he was going to say now, she wanted to remember it. She knew he was trying to say something that might just make this situation even more uncomfortable… or it might have the entirely opposite effect instead.

“It’s not just… this situation, was all I was going to say,” he muttered in the end, despite how embarrassing it was to admit it. Sif’s eyebrows raised, and he was relieved to see color flushing her cheeks. “Well, it seems you’ve blushed. That’s a good sign.”

“Y-you… you meant that, Loki?” she asked, swallowing hard.

“Why, I may have,” he muttered, looking away from her. “Often is it said you shouldn’t trust the word of a Trickster. It might be best for you if you don’t take his confessions too seriously.”

“Well, we are speaking of the very Trickster without whom I would have frozen to death in the depths of Jotunheim,” Sif said, at which he smiled weakly. “It may be reckless of me, but… I thought trusting him wouldn’t be such a bad idea after he proved himself as he did. Or is it?”

“Is it?” he asked her, his eyes finding hers.

They stared at each other for an instant, all thoughts of the cold environment and the storm raging outside forgotten. Even Sif’s hunger seemed to disappear as she stared at Loki. Their hearts had been beating quite wildly for a while now, but this last exchange had accelerated them more so. Loki swallowed again, wondering what Sif’s response to his question would be…

He was surprised when she leaned forward, her lips mere inches away from his. Her nose grazed his as she hovered, unsure if to pull through or not. Her breath mingled with his in that single moment of suspense, which, to Loki, felt like an eternity, until Sif finally gave in.

Her lips were cold indeed, was the first thought in Loki’s mind. He soon brushed away all rational thinking as he replied to her soft kiss with more passion than he had intended to. His hands had stopped moving on her back, and now they pressed her against him, their bodies in perfect contact. His erection only grew with this, but he barely registered it at the moment. He only needed to continue kissing her, to warm her lips with his own…

Sif moaned despite their exchange wasn’t even so wild yet. But she knew it would be eventually. And she looked forward to it. The fact that Loki had responded to her kiss was already a great relief. She only hoped he wouldn’t stop just at that. For, if they wanted warmth and heat, there was one way to find it that she sure wouldn’t mind putting to the test…

Her hands started reaching out to discover his body, to caress that back she had been admiring when he was shedding his clothes. Her caresses were rougher than Loki imagined, for her calloused hands weren’t quite kind, but he didn’t need them to be. If anything, he enjoyed that they weren’t. His own hands started roaming over her body, no longer rubbing her to provide warmth but grazing her with a ghostly touch, which sent shivers down her spine. She moved against him, his shaft pressing against her thigh, and she deepened their kiss. Loki groaned softly into her mouth as he caught her lower lip between his before allowing his tongue to seek hers. Sif gasped and her hands slid up from his back and into his hair, her moans intensifying.

Her freezing body seemed to have forgotten all about the cold when waves of arousal started rushing under her skin, roused by Loki’s touch. She continued to kiss him fervently, losing herself in his taste. Dreaming about kissing him hardly made the real deal any justice. He was much better at it than she gave him credit for, and she had already given him plenty of credit, to begin with. He was as invested in their exchange as she was, it seemed, and Sif was more than delighted to notice that. Perhaps he only desired her carnally, she didn’t know… but whatever it was Loki felt for her, she was more than willing to welcome it tonight, as they shared their warmth in the middle of a frozen world.

She gasped when he moved away from her lips and towards her neck, nibbling on it and sucking the soft skin while Sif continued to fist his hair in one hand while the other moved to his chest.

“Loki…” she whispered, and the prince smiled. Making her utter his name felt like a greater accomplishment than he expected it to be. She had called him so many names during the years they had known each other, some less kind than others, but quite often she resorted to his real name. But never had she said it as she just had. That subtle whisper was all he wanted to hear from here on. He wanted to keep this going for as long as it could. Whether the storm stopped or not, he needed to stay tangled with Sif under the covers just for a little while longer.

His hands moved down to her waist, pulling her ever closer as his face dropped to her chest. Sif gasped, her lips parted as she enjoyed Loki’s ministrations to the fullest. His lips found her left nipple and he sucked on it eagerly, making her throw her head back as her moans intensified. Just as it had happened with her laugh earlier, the sound echoed through the cave. And thaat only made Loki even more eager to continue devouring her, his lust increasing upon her every cry of pleasure.

Her left leg now locked around his hip, and she started moving her pelvis against him, almost by instinct. She lowered her head into his hair, inhaling its scent as she caressed his neck now, while Loki fondled her breasts and kissed the sweaty area between the mounds… sweat? Well, that was unexpected, but good. She wouldn’t be sweating if she weren’t warm again, right?

But even if it seemed Sif was well on her way to recover her warmth, this passionate exchange wasn’t going to stop any time soon. After Loki licked off the beads of sweat she pulled his face up so she could kiss him ferociously again. His hands continued to massage her breasts, but his right one soon moved down over her body towards her navel, and she shuddered as he teased it. He couldn’t help but smirk into the kiss, which only made her more desperate as she slid her tongue over his. Loki groaned as she sucked on his lips, and he decided she might be well past the teasing stage by now.

His hand slipped lower, blindly descending towards where her core awaited. He made his way through her wet folds, and the mere touch of his fingers made her moan more heavily. Loki continued to kiss her while she fisted his hair, her hands making out the shape of his face in the darkness, for the fire had dwindled and died while they weren’t paying attention to it. She moaned into his mouth and allowed her hands to slip down his body, making out his muscles as she caressed him roughly. Yet her objective was below… and Loki was startled when he felt one of her hands cup his buttcheek while the other stroked his abdomen, threatening to move down to his hardened cock.

“Sif,” he muttered against her, and she was the one to smile this time around as she dove into his neck, leaving a trail of bites over it as she worked on him steadily. “Damn, Sif…”

“Too much warmth now, Trickster?” she asked, still fondling his buttock while her other hand moved down his abdomen, to find his large cock awaiting stimulation.

Loki would have replied if only she hadn’t started caressing his member with painfully slow motions. He gritted his teeth and started to touch her more daringly, playing with her clit between two fingers so her cockiness would turn into arousal and desire for him. She wasn’t capable of teasing him after that, for all the sounds leaving her mouth at the time were deep moans. And Loki could have taken this as a victory, if only she weren’t delivering pleasure to him as well by taking his shaft into her hand, pumping him erratically and making him groan as well.

They joined in another kiss, and another one, and another one, but the pleasure was already starting to make her dizzy. Sif stopped caressing his hardened cock and reached for his hand to pull it away from her core as she inched her waist closer towards his.

“Sif...” Loki whispered, and she kissed him again.

“Come now, Loki…” she replied. “This is what I want.”

“This…?” he asked, almost in disbelief. “Me?”

“You,” she admitted, closing the distance between their lips again with a new kiss as he positioned himself on her entrance.

Loki couldn’t help but groan loudly as he made his way through her body. She was ready for him, soft and warm but still tight enough to hold him in place. Sif gasped as Loki shifted their positions, rolling her on her back, their bodies still engaged. He kissed her again before thrusting inside of her, and Sif threw her head back in pleasure yet again. Her motion allowed him to dive down on her neck again, and he kissed it softly before sliding down to tease her collarbone as his hips bucked against hers.

Being filled by Loki was the most marvelous sensation for Sif. She couldn’t keep up with the pleasure he was providing, it was much more bliss than her body could make sense out of. She needed him to carry on, though. She surrounded his neck with her arms and pulled him closer, her hips moving against his as he kissed her chest now before moving back to her face. Sif locked her lips on his and kissed him fiercely, sighing and moaning into him as she brought his hands to caress her breasts again.

It was a wild exchange, but the more they indulged in it, the hotter they both became. The environment was still cold, but they basked in the warmth they provided one another with their bodies. Never before had they felt they belonged together as they did just now. They had thought they might, of course, but never had they known for certain that becoming one with the other would prove to be such a mind-blowing experience.

The thrusts became more rhythmic after a while, as Loki found the proper pace and depth of penetration for both of them. Sif’s groans intensified; Loki was thoroughly fascinated by the melody of their sounds rebounding through the cave. His own grunts followed her moans, and his hands found hers as he intertwined their fingers. He was pressed down on her body, her breasts against his chest as he continued to thrust into her, his eyes locked on hers.

Sif stared back at him, unwilling to break the visual contact between them. Something about watching him as he groaned, as his manhood rubbed her walls in the most delightful ways, made the entire situation all the more arousing for her, even though she was already beyond aroused as she was. She didn’t dare break their mutual stare, though, not while she could avoid it. She resisted the urge to throw her head back and scream, for she needed to see him still…

Her hands left his so she could clutch as his flanks desperately. Loki’s own lodged on her waist as well as he plunged deeper inside, knowing the pleasure was about to reach breaking point. It was he who broke the eye contact as Sif’s grip around him became stronger, and her body arched against his as she was shaken by the most powerful orgasm she had experienced until now. Her walls contracted against Loki’s cock, and he gritted his teeth, amazed by the sensation that was certain to bring him over the limit as well.

He felt as though he was swimming in an ocean of pleasure as he continued to grind into her while she rode through her climax. And with only a few more thrusts, Loki’s orgasm arrived as well. He dropped his head on her shoulder as his hips continued to buck against hers, and he breathed heavily as he emptied himself within her, Sif’s hands still gripping him tightly as they both enjoyed the last stretch of their climaxes.

Loki shifted again, lifting himself up but only so he could look at Sif again. Her eyes were closed now, and she was still shivering… but not because of the cold anymore, Loki knew it for certain. He smiled and kissed her softly, and she surprised him by capturing his lips between hers just before he could move away from her.

“Sif,” he muttered, as he pressed his forehead against hers. “Ah, Sif…”

“I can safely say… that I’m not cold anymore,” she said, chuckling, and he smiled as well.

“Do let me know if that changes,” he said, dropping beside her as he separated their bodies. Sif turned towards him, making sure to continue facing Loki. “I’d be more than happy to help warm you up again.”

“By all means,” said Sif, smiling. “Who knew you’d be so skilled at this?”

“You think I’m skilled?” he asked, smirking. “Just wait until we’re on a better location than this. If we could get out of the sleeping bag, I’d show you just what I’m most skilled at…”

“And what might that be?” Sif asked, curious, and Loki smirked even more proudly.

“Why, I’ve been called Silvertongue for many reasons… I’m sure you can imagine several of them by now.”

Sif couldn’t help but laugh at that as she dropped her head on his chest, her eyes fluttering shut. She felt rather cozy pressed against him like this. If only she could stay close to him, she knew she wouldn’t feel as cold as she had been before. He was an unexpected source of warmth, and while their tryst hadn’t been too loving or tender, the fact that she could huddle against him like this right now was more than enough for Sif. And he wanted more, too… she couldn’t quite stop herself from smiling. Whatever was brewing in this cave, it sure was starting to feel good to her.

“Well, then…” she whispered. “I suppose that, once we’re out of this cave, you’ll have to give me a proper demonstration.”

“If you will it,” said Loki, smirking.

“I just said so, didn’t I?” said Sif, chuckling.

“Eager, aren’t we?” Loki said, breathing out with delight as one of his hands slipped over her back, caressing loose strands of hair.

“Can you blame me?” said Sif, nuzzling his neck. “I was freezing and you warmed me up to this point in a matter of minutes. I can only wonder what you’d do in normal circumstances.”

“Well, if you truly want to know what I’d do in normal circumstances, you might find out eventually,” he said, smiling and taking one of her hand in his. He pulled them up to his lips and he kissed her fingers softly, and Sif couldn’t stop smiling as she watched him.

“Have you always been such a great lover and I’ve been missing out on it for all these years…?” she asked, and he laughed.

“I actually don’t know,” he said. “I’d love to say that’s the case, but I can’t quite claim as much.”

“Why not?” Sif asked, confused. “Surely you’re not going to tell me now that this was your first…”

“No,” said Loki, laughing under his breath. “No, it wasn’t. But it almost feels as though it were. Something about being with you makes it different… you might think that’s merely hollow flattery, but it’s not.”

“Oh, I sure hope it isn’tm” said Sif, with a weak smile. “I can’t say I’ve had many experiences myself. Being a busy warrior doesn’t exactly leave me much time to get involved with men, but what little I’ve had…”

“Wasn’t as good as this?” Loki asked, his pride flaring at that. When Sif smiled, said pride increased tenfold.

“I don’t know what is it you do, Loki,” she said, smiling. “But there’s just something about you…”

“Do you think I’ve cast a curse on you, Lady Sif?” he asked, teasingly, and she laughed.

“Why, if this is a curse, it’s far more enjoyable than I imagined curses to be,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind being under its influence a little longer.”

“No?” he asked, as she leaned towards his face and kissed his lips softly.

“No,” she said, smiling. “Still, uh… I suppose we’ve come a lot further than expected.”

“Indeed,” said Loki, raising his eyebrows. “Do you believe this will affect our friendship?”

As soon as he asked the question Sif was overtaken by a fit of laughter, which Loki found contagious soon enough. She shook her head as she pressed her face to his neck, and Loki kissed the side of her face gently.

“By all means, if our friendship must suffer as it has, then so be it,” Sif said, smirking. “I’d never enjoyed ruining a friendship as I have today.”

Loki laughed and caressed her back, holding her close. He fell silent for a moment, but Sif could tell he was thinking about something. The satisfied look on his face gave it away.

“What’s on your mind now?” she asked him, and Loki chuckled.

“Need you ask?” he said, kissing her forehead.

“Actually, yes,” Sif replied. “It’s impossible to know what you’re thinking, Loki.”

“Not impossible,” he said, but smiled all the same. “It’s only that… well, I never thought this would happen between us, Sif.”

“Never?” Sif repeated. “You didn’t even imagine it?”

“Oh, I imagined it far too many times, believe me,” he said, surprising her. He laughed at the look she gave him. “Only, I never thought it’d come to pass for real.”

“Why didn’t you, though?” said Sif, surprised. “Did you think I wasn’t interested?”

“Well, were you?”

Sif blushed at that question, to Loki’s confusion. He had almost expected her to answer right away that she hadn’t wanted anything to do with him on a sexual level before.

“More than I’d like to admit,” she said, sighing and dropping her face on his shoulder so he wouldn’t see just how embarrassed she was. “You’d be surprised.”

“Really, now?” said Loki, astonished. “But… why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve been…!”

“Yes, well,” said Sif, sighing against him. “How was I supposed to tell my childhood friend that I wanted to bed him?”

“By telling him, obviously,” said Loki, smirking. “Maybe the childhood friend wanted to bed you too.”

“It seemed too good to be true, though,” said Sif, smiling a little. “Still, you… you wanted this, Loki? Why would you have… well, wanted me?”

“Why would you have wanted me?” he asked, laughing. “I’d think that’s an even bigger mystery. When surrounded by so many strong, handsome men who are well admired through the realm, you’d choose the infamous Trickster instead?”

“Strong, handsome men,” Sif repeated, with a grimace. “Maybe I’ve seen too many of those for a lifetime. You, though… you’re different than them. All the same as I am.”

“So you wanted me because we were both outcasts?” said Loki, and Sif shook her head, chuckling.

“I doubt it had anything to do with that,” she confessed. “You always seemed one of a kind to me, for reasons I couldn’t understand too well at first. You intrigued me in ways no other man ever has. Something about you beckoned me.”

“And that’s why you never gave in to your feelings?” Loki asked, teasingly. “Because I beckoned you too much?”

“Proud of yourself, aren’t you, Loki?” Sif asked, looking at him with some indignation while Loki smirked. “Why, it’s probably why I didn’t, indeed. I’d never known what to do about how I felt towards you. It was somewhat frightening.”

“You feared I might hurt you?” he asked, and Sif smiled.

“I’m not sure if what I feared had anything to do with you, to be honest,” she said. “What I feared most was that my parents… well, it’s no secret to anyone what their plans for me were.”

“No, it isn’t,” Loki muttered, lowering his gaze “And… you wanted to keep true to those plans?”

“I‘ve considered it, I won’t lie” Sif said, sighing “But… it never felt right to pursue a relationship with your brother, let alone because they were forcing me to. Let alone when I… was interested in you”

“Well,” said Loki, smiling. “Perhaps your parents intended for you to marry a Prince. It might not need to be Thor…”

“Perhaps... wait” she said, freezing. “You’re saying you’d marry me?”

“I… well, I’m not quite saying that I wouldn’t,” he replied, blushing. “I just figured it was an interesting angle at which we could look at their wishes. Perhaps.”

“Perhaps indeed,” said Sif, with a gentle smile. “Still, I’d rather live my life as I wish to than to waste it by fulfilling my parents’ desires. It’s why I became a warrior instead of just being a lady of the court, as my mother expected. I owe no answers to anyone but myself. So I’m free to do as I wish with my life, regardless what anyone might say.”

“Interesting. Then you’re living your life as you wish by getting stranded in Jotunheim with the Trickster, no less” Loki said, teasingly.

“Well, is there anything wrong with that?” Sif asked, smiling and kissing his neck. “It was bad at first, because it was too cold. But now… now it’s good. Really good.”

“I’d like to think it’s better than good,” he said, smirking, and Sif laughed.

“I’d say as much, but it’ll go up to your head,” she stated, and he groaned softly before leaning down to kiss her.

She didn’t stop laughing as they kissed, for Loki seemed rather eager to make her confess their tryst had been far better than just ‘good’. And if he wanted her to say the words aloud, then he’d better bring her to a point where she couldn’t keep from admitting it any longer.

His kisses were savage at first, but they soon became more tender as they rolled on their sides again. His hands caressed her body softly, and Sif moaned weakly as he stimulated her senses with his every touch. Truly, she had been a fool. She should have told Loki she was interested in him, damn the consequences, ages ago. To think she could have felt him like this, their naked bodies pressed together as their lips were locked, since such a long time ago, yet only these extreme circumstances had brought them together. Sif couldn’t deny she was pleased that it had finally happened, but there surely would be a prickle on the back of her head at all times, making her wonder what would have happened if only she had ever given Loki a chance sooner…

Her hands started exploring his body as well, now with less despair than before. She stroked his chest, finding his nipples and caressing them with her fingertips. Loki gulped at that and looked at her with a weak smile between their kisses, but he soon reciprocated her caresses by reaching up to find her breasts.

Sif was amused at first upon wondering if he was mimicking her movements. Just how much was he willing to imitate…? She guessed there’d be no boundaries, but still… she let her hands slip over to his back and reach down to find his buttocks, and Loki was startled when she gripped them tightly.

“You seem to like my rear a lot, don’t you?” he said, and she laughed.

“Who wouldn’t?” Sif replied, and soon it was Loki who chuckled. “I don’t think you have a proper understanding of how appealing you are, my Prince…”

“I do have an understanding of how appealing it is for you to call me that, though,” he said, smirking and kissing her again, trapping her lower lip between his and sucking on it softly. Sif moaned, pressing her chest into his hands… but then his hands slid down her back as well, and he was gripping her buttocks too, to Sif’s amusement.

“So you really are imitating everything I do?” she asked, and he smirked.

“So long as it doesn’t bother you…” he said, chuckling.

“Not at all. It’s to be expected from the Trickster,” she said, smiling as they kissed again.

She didn’t notice she had started moaning, but it was hard to contain the sounds when Loki was touching her so daringly. She closed her eyes and basked in the way his hands were raking over her back, sliding down her torso and back again towards her butt. His kiss was as addicting as ever, and she didn’t want to pull away from him at all, not even so she could bite his neck and leave more evidence of what she had done to his body. Right now she only wanted to keep kissing him until they both were breathless, until the cold world around them was all but forgotten…

“If only…” Loki whispered against her lips, and Sif kissed him again.

“If only what?” she replied.

“I just… want to see you,” he said, smiling a little. “I can only see with my hands right now, but…”

“That’s really embarrassing,” Sif said, laughing against him and kissing him again. “It might be best if you don’t see anything at all.”

“Why is that?” Loki asked, moving down to her neck and making her moan again. “What exactly are you embarrassed by, my Lady?”

“My body is actually… well, covered in scars,” she admitted, surprising Loki. “It doesn’t quite look as beautiful as you might have hoped.”

“Oh, really?” Loki asked, smirking, “You think scars would take away from your beauty?”

“I suppose… they’re somewhat unsightly,” she said, chuckling.

“Well, then, lady Sif, you’re a fool,” he said, smirking and kissing her again. Sif stared at him indignantly as he laughed. “Surely there’s nothing unsightly about them, or about you as a whole. And then you say I’m the one who doesn’t know how appealing he is…”

“Well, you don’t know how appealing I am either,” said Sif, smirking. “Not really. Not while you haven’t seen what I look like underneath my clothes yet.”

“What little I’ve seen, Sif, convinces me you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes upon,” he said, kissing her lips softly.

“Such sweet words from the Trickster,” Sif whispered, smiling.

“Still, I have an idea on how to discover what you look like…” he muttered suggestively against her mouth, smirking.

“What are you…?” Sif started, before Loki ducked into the sleeping bag.

And suddenly, without warning, a light turned on under the covers. Sif was startled by it until she realized Loki was using magical lights to look at her body. She gritted her teeth and kicked his shin, and with that, his light faded.

“Ow! By Yggdrasil, Sif, that was hardly necessary!” he exclaimed, pulling his head out again to find her glaring at him.

“Neither was that!” she snapped, blushing.

“I beg to differ,” said Loki, chuckling now. “Alas, lady Sif… it seems you’re more beautiful than I imagined.”

She rolled her eyes as he kissed her again, and she kept glaring at him judgmentally. Loki chuckled at the sight of her narrowed eyes.

“Do pardon me, then, Lady Sif, if my bold actions offended you” he said, and she raised an eyebrow.

“So you want pardon because I’m offended, and not because you shouldn’t have done that, let alone without warning?”

“Why… yes, indeed,” he said, smiling happily. “Or is it you expected me to regret looking at you, Sif? Because that’s not going to happen.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes again before leaning in to kiss him. Loki seemed rather pleased with himself at that.

“You’re unbelievable, Trickster,” she whispered against him, squeezing his buttock again and making him laugh.

Assuming he had to make up for his indiscretion just now, Loki’s kiss was all the more passionate than normal, in hopes to make Sif forget quickly about what he had done. Still, it surprised him she would be so insecure about her body. It surprised him even more to think she didn’t understand just how beautiful she was…

Her hands caressed his neck now, sliding over his collarbone and his shoulders. She had started responding to Loki’s kiss quite wildly at first, but soon had settled into enjoying his skilled motions to the fullest. She draped a leg around his waist and closed her eyes, basking in the contact between their bodies. He was quite a fool, there was no denying it, but she couldn’t get enough of him. She had been longing for him for most her life, after all. A single lovemaking session couldn’t possibly suffice. Not when they surely had plenty of hours to kill while the storm died down.

Her arms went to his waist as she pulled his pelvis close to hers. Loki gasped at that, his limp manhood reawakening by now. Sif smirked when she sensed his cock was hardening, but she knew it wasn’t enough yet. Nevertheless, she took it upon herself to stroke him again, at which Loki gasped more; the flow of his blood, which had normalized by then, switched again towards his groin as he felt his heart thump in his chest.

“Sif…” he whispered lustfully, as her fingers worked on him steadily.

“Yes?” she asked, smirking.

“Damn it, Sif…” he said, smiling as well and dropping his forehead against hers.

She was amused by his cursing, knowing he probably wasn’t ready, mentally, for another orgasm. But it seemed his body was capable of more than Loki himself realized. Sif kissed his nose now and chuckled as she continued to stroke him, pulling at his shaft and making him groan now.

“E-enjoying yourself… are you?” he asked her, and Sif raised her eyebrows.

“Here I thought the one enjoying this would be you,” said Sif, grinning. “Am I not doing it right, my Prince?”

Loki moaned and Sif laughed again, prodding his nose with hers.

“I-if only we weren’t in this sleeping bag…” Loki muttered, and Sif laughed again.

“Oh, you’d make me pay, would you?” she asked.

“Dearly,” he grunted, before gripping her waist hard and forcing her to turn around so her back would be against his torso.

With that movement, Loki made sure her hand would release his manhood. Sif still laughed but not as heartily anymore when his hands started to caress her roughly. She moaned, arching her body against him as he cupped her breast with one hand while the other slid under her body and towards her navel. His touch teased her lower body as his lips pressed to her shoulder, and soon he was sliding his fingers down through her folds, massaging her clit through the moisture. Sif sighed in delight, thrills of excitement born upon his caresses.

“Ah, Loki…” she whispered, a hand going to his hair as she pushed his face down on her neck. “You’re really… damn.”

“Same to you, dear,” he told her, his breath ghosting over her skin and making her shiver with pleasure.

It amazed Sif that he would touch her as he did. It was almost as though he knew her body better than she ever had. No man she had been with before had been this attentive and careful, none of them had paid close attention to where she enjoyed being touched the most. Loki was experimenting with her, a hand stroking her clit, the other her breast, while his breathing was heavy upon her body. Sif’s moans intensified, and she soon found herself longing to touch Loki daringly in return. But he had played his cards right, making sure he would have the upper hand completely. Didn’t he know Sif wanted to discover everything about his body as well?

She thrust against him, her hips moving so her buttocks would rub against his erection, and Loki almost stopped on his motions upon that exhilarating feeling. He breathed heavily again and started kissing Sif’s ear now, his fingers touching her even more daringly now. Sif moaned again, and Loki responded by sliding a finger inside her. Her sounds were beyond arousing for Loki. He had never heard anything as erotic in his entire life.

His free hand continued to move from one breast to the other, making sure to keep them both nipples perked and sensitive to his touch. Again, sweat started to pool between her breasts, and Loki couldn’t help but wish he could lick it off her again. Yet in this position it couldn’t be helped. He merely continued to touch her, to play with her earlobe and to groan as her rear stimulated his hardened cock in all the best ways.

“We should have done this… since ages ago…” Loki whispered into her ear, while Sif moaned loudly, his thumb pressing on her clit as his fingers probed inside her.

“Loki…!” was all Sif could utter now, lost in her desperate desire for him. She needed him inside of her immediately.

She had no choice but to reach back for his cock and lift it so it would slide between her legs. Loki smirked for a moment before following her lead, using the hand that had been teasing her core to angle his cock properly to penetrate her.

Sif threw her head back in ecstasy when he entered her this time. He reached out for her lips with his own while he plunged into her, one hand still on her breasts while the other one stroked her clit, increasing Sif’s arousal even more. She hadn’t known just how much excitement her body could take, at least, not until tonight. She was amazed she hadn’t blacked out with all the pleasure Loki was providing her.

“D-don’t stop…” she whispered against his mouth, and he complied.

His thrusts made her moan loudly again, but he silenced her cries with a wild kiss. Her toes were curled already as the arousal burned its way through her body. Loki’s tongue clashed with hers, his hips still thrusting against her as he penetrated her even more deeply. Her warmth and wetness enveloped his shaft, providing him with the most pleasant sensations he had ever experienced. Being inside Sif was so thrilling he could easily forget where they were, or why their passionate exchange had began. All he knew was that she was the woman he was with, the one who kept kissing him back whenever her arousal allowed her enough respite to do so.

And she wanted him. Oh, she really wanted him.

He gritted his teeth, their kiss interrupted when her orgasm started to shake her. His fingers rubbed her clit even more wildly, and she screamed as her walls moved against him. Loki’s breath came in gasps as her body’s mild contractions started to trigger his release, and with his face pressed to her shoulder he allowed his seed to spill inside her. He thrust into her again and again, hoping to empty himself completely as he basked in the delightful feeling of merging into one with Sif…

They were both breathing with difficulty by the time their climaxes had ended. Sif took his hand in her own and kissed it before collapsing heavily, her eyes closed.

“You’re too much…” she whispered, and Loki laughed. “Honestly, Loki…”

“So long as you enjoy it,” he replied, kissing the back of her neck. Her dark hair was in complete disarray, all the same as his.

“Enjoy it…? What an understatement,” she said, chuckling, and Loki beamed before pressing himself to her again, but this time only to hold her close.

Sif took his hand in hers and breathed deeply as her body normalized again. She had no idea if Loki was as desperate for a break as she was, but she couldn’t be awake for a second longer.

Her hand still held his as Loki, exhausted as well, fell into his own slumber behind her.

* * *

Sif returned to her senses to feel cold air buffeting her face. It surprised her for a moment, until she remembered where she was. She shifted within the warmth of the sleeping bag, relieved it was still warm indeed, before turning around to find her companion was still sleeping peacefully.

Seeing Loki up close now, after a few hours of sleep, at least, Sif was impressed, both by how calm he looked while he slept and by how unbelievable the whole situation still was for her. There had been no mead whatsoever involved in their tryst, but she had almost felt drunk the previous night, and now as she felt more sober, everything seemed more real… and therefore, even more bewildering.

She smiled, settling before Loki’s face and staring at him as he slept. For the longest time she had been fascinated with him, and as she remembered everything that had happened upon arriving to this cave, she could only feel her interest in him increasing. She had no idea what would happen upon their return to Asgard, but she sure wished the moments they had shared wouldn’t fade away into oblivion upon leaving the cave. Perhaps Loki wouldn’t want this to become more than it was… but what if he did?

The idea of spending more time with him, of enjoying his presence and basking in the wonderful feeling of being with Loki, made her insides twist in excitement. She wondered what lay in store for their future… she wondered if their respective fates were to be entwined from here onwards. Chances were their destinies weren’t supposed to join together like this in the first place, but they had chosen to let it happen. They had taken fate into their own hands, and whatever came from it should be wonderful, Sif hoped.

She pressed her forehead against his and he groaned softly, stirring in her arms. Sif smiled at him as Loki’s eyes fluttered open to find hers staring directly at him. The clear look in his eyes was more sincere than anything she had ever seen in his gaze before, even last night. He stared at her in wonder, a small smile forming over his face.

“Sif…” he whispered, a hand reaching up to caress her face.

“Loki,” she replied, with a grin of her own. “Slept well, I trust?”

“It still feels like I’m dreaming, if I must be honest,” he said, his smile widening as he laughed softly.

“Isn’t it too cold for a dream?” Sif asked, moving closer towards him to bask in his warmth. Loki welcomed her into his arms, embracing her tightly and kissing her brow.

“My dreams are somewhat cold, at times,” he muttered.

“Really?” Sif inquired, surprised.

“Yes, though I do not know why,” said Loki. “It wouldn’t be the first time I dream about Jotunheim. The best one, no doubt, but not the first.”

“Yet this is no dream, Loki,” Sif said, and he sighed in bliss.

“It is not,” he agreed, burying his face in her hair. “And I couldn’t be more pleased that it isn’t.”

Sif smiled and looked up at him, just so Loki could lean down to kiss her softly. She sighed and caressed his bare arms as his embrace became more intimate, uniting their bodies completely… just so he would sense perfectly the way her stomach grumbled loudly, begging for food.

Sif was unapologetic about her hunger, Loki realized, as he laughed and caressed her belly while she pressed her forehead against his.

“So you were truly hungry, weren’t you?”

“You thought I was lying about that? Mind you, Trickster, but I do not make a frequent practice of lying my way out of everything, unlike you,” she said, and Loki laughed.

“My, my, how aggressive. Is it you get moody when your stomach is empty?” he asked her.

“A little,” she admitted. “So you’d best do something about it, Trickster, or I might resort to eating you to appease my hunger.”

“Me?” Loki repeated, smirking. “I’m afraid sarcasm and trickery aren’t the best seasonings for a good meal, lady Sif.”

“Maybe I ought to be the one to judge that,” Sif stated, smirking and kissing Loki again, quite passionately this time. He hummed as he kissed her back, caressing her back and nibbling on her lower lip, prompting her to moan softly.

“Still,” Loki said, touching her nose with his when they parted for a moment. Sif almost kept him from speaking by leaning in to kiss him again, bringing a smile to Loki’s face. “Maybe it is I who ought to devour you…”

“Oh, my,” said Sif, smirking. “Then we’ll eat each other? Thor and the others will be aghast to find only bones in this cave by the time they find us.”

“My, Lady Sif, who knew you’d be a cannibal?” Loki asked, smirking. “I wasn’t quite referring to that…”

“No?” she asked again, kissing him.

“You truly must be hungry if you actually wanted to eat me,” said Loki, chuckling. “Nevertheless, do not despair, Lady Sif. Perhaps I can find something you can eat after all.”

“Other than you?” Sif inquired, raising her eyebrows.

“Surprisingly so,” said Loki, as she kissed him again.

“Don’t tell me you mean to go hunting… there’s nothing to hunt in these plains, let alone in the middle of a storm,” Sif said, pressing her forehead against his. “And to top it off, I’m the better hunter here.”

“No doubt you are,” said Loki, smiling. “But I didn’t intend to go hunting, Sif.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised, not considering how he had materialized his sleeping bag from thin air earlier, when he waved a hand before himself and conjured a rucksack out of nowhere. Sif’s eyes sparkled with hope as he supported his weight with one forearm while rummaging through the bag with the other one.

“Here you go. It’s not a roasting boar…” he said, handing her a piece of bread. “But it might be better than to resort to cannibalism, don’t you think?”

“It’s… ah, truly I am beyond fortunate for having gotten stranded with you,” she said before devouring the bread eagerly. Loki smiled, pleased with himself.

“I would hope you’re not saying it merely because of the food, though,” Loki said, smirking. “I’m quite certain Volstagg would have had plenty to offer you too if he had been here instead of me.”

“I’d question that,” Sif said, after nibbling on the piece of bread before offering some to Loki. He took a bite out of it, delighted. “Volstagg’s food supplies are his supplies and nobody else’s. And even if he offered, well… I’m not exactly comfortable with eating whatever he finds in his beard. It’s a very disgusting concept.”

Loki chuckled at that and looked at Sif with amusement as she continued to eat. He caressed her cheek with a hand, and Sif kissed his fingers once she had finished the bread.

“We have a problem, though,” she said, with a mischievous smirk that resembled his own far more than either of them realized.

“Oh?” he asked.

“I still want to eat you,” Sif said, and Loki laughed again before closing in to kiss her.

“Good to know I still have some more bread to stall my imminent fate,” he said, reaching out to take another bun from the bag while Sif laughed.

Had she ever felt so comfortable around someone else before? She couldn’t remember if she had. It almost felt like she had spent her entire life sharing experiences with Loki, just like this. It felt so right she couldn’t help but think of that single word that surely was the perfect way to describe the nature of her feelings for Loki. She smiled as he gave her the second bread he had pulled out of the bag, and she stared at him with delight. She was certain she would prize this moment for the rest of her life, no matter what happened next.

“Here you go, Lady Sif,” he said, kissing her nose. “We’ll have to be careful with our supplies, though. It’s hard to say how long we’ll be in here, but we shouldn’t eat more than this. We might have enough food for two or three days, so we’d best make sure it lasts.”

“So, two or three days until I eat you,” Sif snickered.

“Well, if the storm doesn’t pass, that is,” said Loki, staring towards the cave’s entrance.

The snow was actually dying down by now, and it wasn’t falling as powerfully as it had back when they had gotten stranded. It seemed it would be finished altogether soon enough. Calling Heimdall surely would be possible by now, Loki thought. But even though it meant they would be able to return home and get away from this frozen world that, he actually wasn’t inclined to do it. Not just yet. He had no idea if this would be his one opportunity to be with Sif, and he wasn’t ready to let it end just yet.

Sif seemed to agree with him, for she was now feeding him bits of the bread, pressing them to his lips with her fingertips. Loki opened his mouth and accepted her offer, licking her fingers even after he had already caught the bread between his teeth. Sif didn’t pull away, though, delighted and seduced by his ministrations. Was Loki’s effect upon her normal? She couldn’t even figure out if it was. Not many women would lust after Loki as she did, at least, not those she knew in person. They all pined away after Thor, though perhaps that girl who had studied magic with Loki in their younger years, Lorelei, might be the exception. But even so, she didn’t want to know if this was Loki’s effect on everyone else. She knew it was his effect on her, at the very least… and she enjoyed it in ways she couldn’t quite explain. She truly didn’t care to know if other girls had been through this same experience with Lok. In fact, she hoped not. It was ridiculous for her to feel somewhat envious of whichever women had slept with Loki before her, but it was hard to help it when she thought it could have been her all along, if only she had mustered enough courage to approach Loki before now.

Nevertheless, Sif meant to make use of their time together in whatever way she could. They had wasted enough time as it was. She wouldn’t waste another moment ever again.

“Seems like I’m the one eating you instead, though,” said Loki, with a suggestive wink at her.

Sif rolled her eyes before pulling close to kiss him deeply. His hands moved to her breasts and she moaned as he caressed her. Her kiss was warm and addictive to Loki, who responded just as eagerly to her advances. If one thing was clear, it was that they both meant to continue with what they had started during the previous day…

Until Loki pulled away brusquely upon hearing a sound reminiscent of a howl outside the cave.

He frowned and lifted himself with his forearm again, glaring at the snow outside. He would love to think it was only a wild animal, but as Sif herself had said it earlier, there was nothing to hunt in Jotunheim’s plains, and if there was nothing to hunt, there would be no hunters either. So that sound could only be…

“... Loki! Sif!”

“Oh, blast it,” he said, recognizing Thor’s voice. “Sif, we have company.”

He needn’t say it twice. Sif grimaced, clearly irritated by having their loving moment interrupted unexpectedly. She was surprised to feel so annoyed by Thor’s arrival, but at the same time she wasn’t. She had wanted her time with Loki to last far longer than this, but she had known it would end sooner than later.

She shuddered when she pushed herself up, the cold air enveloping her bare figure and making her grit her teeth. Loki surrounded her with an arm to keep her warm if only for a little while, but his eyes raked her exposed skin with desire as she revealed herself to him. No doubt their two trysts in the sleeping bag hadn’t been enough. He needed more of Sif, and he would have it right away if only he wasn’t certain Thor would find them as soon as he found the cave they were hiding in…

“Come now. We must dress,” Loki said, kissing her forehead before reaching out for their clothes.

Getting dressed was painfully slow, or at least it felt that way when they feared Thor and the Warriors Three would barge in on them at any given moment. Explaining what was taking place in the cave would be beyond embarrassing for either Loki or Sif… They helped one another dress hastily, despite they wanted nothing more than to rip the clothes off their bodies yet again. But they were doing what had to be done, to avoid what certainly would be a troublesome situation between them and their friends.

Loki helped fit Sif’s armor while she put on his tunic, and they buckled them at the same time. When they were finished with that they were standing before one another, staring into each other’s eyes with concern and longing. Would this be it? They had implied it wouldn’t be, back when they had teased each other about enjoying more trysts without the restrictions of a sleeping bag, but things could change outside the cave where they had finally given in to their desires…

“Sif,” Loki whispered, but she silenced him by reaching up to kiss him one last time.

If Thor and the Warriors Three were nearby, or if they caught sight of the cave, they would have been witnesses to the exchange between their stranded friends. Yet it seemed fortune would shine upon them one last time and allow them to share this final kiss without any interruptions.

Loki surrounded her body with his arms and pressed his forehead against hers as she shivered against him. He grimaced upon realizing the cold weather was taking its toll on her yet again. He removed his tunic with difficulty and wrapped it around her shoulders instead, and Sif glanced up at him in confusion as he did.

“Loki…” she whispered.

“You need it more than I do,” he said, smiling weakly. The cold wasn’t affecting him as badly as it did Sif. It hadn’t throughout their entire trip to Jotunheim.

She smiled weakly at him as the shouts started to sound closer to where they were. She took a deep breath before pulling away from Loki, quite unwillingly.

“We’re here!” she shouted, waving a hand towards the four figures outside.

Hogun was the one who identified them, and he gestured for the others to see where Sif and Loki hid. Thor started towards them, running through the thick snow while trying to reach them right away. Sif made her way outside the cave and met him at the entrance, as he caught her in one of his bone-splitting hugs.

“Sif, you’re safe!” he exclaimed, as Sif gritted her teeth and felt relieved she was wearing an armor that could protect her from Thor’s strength. “We found your pack after we finally found a way down into that crack you fell into! We were worried sick, and… Loki! Brother!”

Loki had stood in the cave, glaring at his brother even if he hadn’t quite noticed it. A subtle pout had graced his features until Thor’s attention had turned towards him. Loki hadn’t been irritated to see his brother was worried about Sif, though. If anything, it was over the fact that she had been in his arms not long ago, and it displeased him to see her in Thor’s now.

Yet he had no time to complain, for Thor threw his arms around Loki next, and in this case, he actually squeezed Loki directly. Loki complained and tried to jerk away from his brother, but Thor didn’t let go yet.

“I’m so relieved you’re both safe,” he said, before finally letting go of him, a smile on his bearded face. “Are you both well? Did any harm come to either of you?”

“Well, now it did,” Loki replied with his usual bitterness, but part of him was happy to see his brother, despite he wouldn’t admit it. “You ought to learn not to break people’s bones with your hugs, brother.”

“Do excuse my enthusiasm, but I’m so glad…” said Thor, sighing. “Try not to jump after Sif so rashly if anything of the sort ever happens again, brother. We lost sight of both of you and we couldn’t follow you. It’s dangerous to split up in Jotunheim, as you must have realized.”

“I did indeed,” said Loki, sighing, and Sif looked at him with amazement. She hadn’t known he had jumped after her, rather than just fallen as she had. “I attempted to tell you to stay on the surface, but I suppose my shouts were lost in the storm. How about the four of you? Did you fare well despite the storm?”

“We found cover in another nearby cave,” Fandral said, approaching to hug Sif as well once Volstagg released her from his grip. The man had just walked up to her, embracing her tightly and looking at her worriedly, to make sure she was in one piece. “When the storm let down a little we attempted to find you two, but in that weather it was hard to track you both.”

“But Thor said you found my pack?” Sif asked, a smile on her face as Hogun handed her the bags.

“Yes,” Hogun said. “Though I don’t know if anything you packed got lost in the fall. It was too risky to stay in perilous grounds to look for everything you might have dropped.”

“It will do, Hogun. Thanks,” said Sif, smiling with delight as she grasped her glaive once more. “What mattered most is here.”

“Then we should return to Asgard at haste,” said Thor, sternly. “Our quest should be postponed until we can actually finish it.”

“Why? We probably could still pull through, if the storm is finally letting down,” said Sif, as stubborn as ever. She wasn’t one who’d allow quests to go unfinished.

“Pardon my bluntness, but you don’t look fit for battle, my lady,” said Fandral. “Surely staying in that cold cave with Loki must have been quite taxing… though I confess I almost expected to find only one of you, and not the other. I’m astounded you two managed to bear each other’s company for as long as you did.”

“Well, it would seem the Lady Sif isn’t as disagreeable towards my company as you are,” said Loki, with a smirk.

“I can only wonder why, though,” said Fandral, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Sif rolled her eyes.

“Then we’ll leave?” Sif asked Thor, and he nodded.

“When the time is right, we will return to Jotunheim,” said Hogun. “But it would be wise to stay in Asgard for now, until these storms have passed.”

Sif sighed and nodded, giving Loki one last look. She hadn’t thought they would leave right away, but perhaps it would be for the best. Fandral surely would be unbearable for a time, for he would start prodding her with constant questions about what had happened in that cave between her and Loki. Loki gazed back at her and nodded weakly, as though letting her know it would be for the best to leave, even though they had the bad feeling they would be leaving behind something they didn’t want to…

“Let’s go,” said Thor, jerking his head towards the outside of the cave. “I’ll call Heimdall.”

“Very well, brother,” said Loki, nodding more enthusiastically now. “Do as you will.”

Once all six of them were out in the open, Thor bellowed Heimdall’s name into the sky. Soon enough, lights began dancing above them. The beams reached them in no time, leading them back to Asgard. But before the Bifrost’s effect took form, Sif’s hand reached out to find Loki’s. He stared down at the union between their hands only briefly, for they were yanked away from Jotunheim’s snowy grounds immediately.

By the time they reached Heimdall’s Observatory, their hands were no longer linked. They were welcomed into Asgard by guards and healers, who were beyond worried about the six warriors who had ventured into Jotunheim before being struck by a storm. The All-Father himself was there, and he was quick to check on both his sons to make sure they were unharmed.

Sif was led away by healers who fussed about her as they heard she had been close to freezing to death. If it hadn’t been for Loki’s cares, she might not have survived this trip. She heard them talk about her condition and check her for wounds, but all she could bring herself to care about were the warm meals she had been brought upon arriving to the Palace. She had devoured the food eagerly, finally filling her stomach for what seemed to be the first time in an eternity. Upon seeing how hungry she was, and that she truly didn’t seem hurt in any way, the healers left her alone at last.

Her thoughts strayed towards Loki before she could help it. There was a tingle in her body, one she couldn’t quite control, let alone appease, whenever she thought about him now. She longed to be in his arms again, to kiss him, to touch him, to be filled by him… but was it right? Could she do such things now? She wanted to think she could… she wanted to find out if she could. But was it right for her to go to him immediately? Surely he had to speak to his parents, Odin and Frigga would be quite worried about him. They might even hold a feast to celebrate the return of both their sons (for if there was one thing to be said about Asgard, it was that they never missed out on the opportunity to hold a feast).

But if that were the case, surely the preparations would take some time. And she could use that time to find out if Loki wanted their affair to last beyond the cave where it had began.

She started down the Palace halls as inconspicuously as she could, hoping the servants and guards wouldn’t notice her strange behavior. All she wanted, of course, was to talk with Loki, no more than that. Just a private conversation, what harm was there in that?

Yet when she arrived to his room she found he was just about to leave it. He was closing the door behind him when she reached him.

“And where is the Prince going in such a hurry?” she asked, and he jumped.

“Sif!” he said, his eyes wide and gleaming. A small smile appeared on his face. “I didn’t realize you were there. To what do I owe this pleasure, if I may ask?”

“You might already know,” Sif said, smiling weakly and giving him a meaningful look. “I believe you boasted about something back while we were in the cave…”

“Oh,” said Loki, raising an eyebrow before smirking. “Oh. Why, I believe I did, yes. I’m more than willing to prove the truth of my claims whenever you wish for it, as I told you…”

“Well, unless you’re busy now, Prince Loki…” said Sif, stepping forward and looking at him with alluring eyes. “Then I would like to ascertain how much truth was there in them right away. Unless, of course, you don’t really want to.”

“Not want to?” Loki asked, amused. “I was going to find you, Sif, because I… well, for the same reason you came here, to put it bluntly.”

She couldn’t help but smile at him, and he smiled back. It was hard to tell if they were both in the same page when it came to the new shift their relationship had taken, but at the very least they were both determined to make it last. It couldn’t end in a cave. It wouldn’t end in Jotunheim.

“Good to know,” she whispered, as Loki opened the door to his room and ushered her inside, a pleased smile on his face.

He sighed in bliss and relief, never having expected Sif to come looking for him. But their agitated exchange, the one Thor and the Warriors Three had interrupted earlier, had yet to be resolved, and clearly, they both meant for it to be resolved as soon as possible. And as many times as possible. For they had so much to discover about each other’s bodies… and there would be time for that. Plenty of it, it seemed. But the sooner they got started, the happier they both would be.

With a proud smirk, Loki used his magic to cast a shield to prevent the sounds from leaving the room. And, still beaming, he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Waking up to a nasty feeling of dizziness surprised Sif. Her head was throbbing weakly, but she hardly registered the pain when she felt the content of her stomach twisting inside of her. Not that there was much left in there anyways, though. She was certain she had spent all her energies with Loki through the night, so all the food she had eaten before that should have been properly digested by now.

But all her logical thinking faded from her mind as the queasy feeling increased. She pressed her eyes tightly shut together and rolled off Loki’s naked torso, rubbing her temples with her fingertips as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

It had been a month and a half since their affair began in Jotunheim. They had shared each other’s beds more often than they even realized, spending every single spare moment they had with each other. Even if it was only a matter of ten minutes or less, they would hide in empty rooms in the Palace if only to exchange kisses for the time being. And they had slept together every night, without fail.

It slowly became harder and harder to pretend nothing had happened between them in Jotunheim. Sif feared Hogun had noticed, for his careful eyes were often on her whenever she excused herself from meals before she left to find Loki. Fandral teased her about Loki, on the other hand, mocking her about whatever he might have done to keep her warm. Sif countered by telling him that she had resorted to the same things he must have done with Thor, Volstagg and Hogun. Her response made Fandral uneasy, and it often silenced him altogether. As for Volstagg, he didn’t seem to care much about Sif and Loki. He only complained about how much food Sif was gobbling down nowadays, for she had returned from Jotunheim with an unquenchable appetite, it seemed.

Thor couldn’t care less for whatever had happened in Jotunheim between Sif and Loki, relieved as he was to find they were both safe and sound. Whatever means they had used to save each other from freezing cold, he wouldn’t care. And Sif was quite grateful for that. She did wonder, though, if Thor and the Warriors Three would judge her for getting entangled with Loki… not that it would make much of a difference, though. Their opinions mattered little. She felt happy with him. She enjoyed their every encounter. Last night they had basked in more passionate lovemaking while in his room, and she had fallen asleep comfortably atop him, listening to his heartbeat as it slowed down back to normality after he had reached his release inside her.

Never before had she woken up to feel like she did right now, though. As much as she was pleased to be with Loki, her body seemed to be set on making her pay for all the enjoyment she’d basked in through the last month. It wasn’t fair, though, for she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary recently, and she didn’t want to wake up next to Loki while feeling like this. Surely he would find her less than appealing at the moment…

And just as she was about to feel relieved he hadn’t woken up yet, Loki stirred next to her and opened a confused eye. Sif enjoyed sleeping close to him, he had realized that through the nights they had spent in one another’s company. It was quite unusual for her to roll away like this.

“Sif…?” he muttered, and she gritted her teeth. “Are you alright?”

“I… huh. Suppose,” she replied, but speaking made her feel worse.

She sat up on the bed, disgusted with the feeling that was rushing through her body right now. She didn’t want to vomit, not now, but her body refused to listen to reason at the moment. She wasn’t used to these sensations, not at all. Wounds she could take without a hitch, for she had spent her entire life, it seemed, fighting in training grounds and in dangerous quests throughout the Nine Realms. But this was new… and different. And very unpleasant.

Loki sat up as well, frowning and looking at her worriedly. She was paler than he had seen her since their time in Jotunheim. He placed a hand on her back, a heavy frown on his face as he looked at her cautiously.

“Sif?” he asked again. “If you’re not feeling well, you’d do best to say so. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I’m just… dizzy, is all,” she said, swallowing hard. “I don’t know, I didn’t feel like this last night. I just wanted to… to wake up and go for round two, huh?”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Loki. “Not if you’re… well, dizzy, is it? Is that all?”

“I think I want to vomit,” Sif muttered, with a grimace. “So… maybe it’s something I ate?”

“Maybe,” said Loki, but he wasn’t appeased by that. Sif wasn’t prone to digestive problems. He feared this would be something else. “Had this ever happened before?”

“Not that I remember,” Sif confessed, grimacing more. “I… sorry, but I think I’ll need your restroom, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, of course,” said Loki, as Sif climbed off his bed and walked towards a door to her left.

He stared at her, taking note of her unusually bad posture. No doubt she didn’t feel well. Had they gone too far the previous night? He doubted it, they hadn’t done anything too outrageous, and Sif had put her body through ordeals far more complicated and troublesome than sex with him. Surely that wasn’t it, was it?

He heard the unmistakable sound of Sif emptying her stomach into the sink, and he grimaced as well before climbing off his bed and joining her in the restroom. She noticed he stood by her, but she hardly reacted. He held her hair out of the way, not knowing how else to help her until she rinsed her mouth and sighed heavily, the unpleasant feeling finally fading away.

“Any better yet?” Loki asked, and she turned around into him, burying her face into his neck.

“Yes, but I… I don’t think we can do it right now. I doubt you’d want to, anyways,” she said, with a weak smile.

“You might be disappointed to hear this, Lady Sif, but I don’t keep you around just for the sake of having my way with you,” he said, rubbing her back with his hands. She chuckled.

“It is a disappointment, yes,” she said sarcastically, kissing his shoulder.

“If you’re not feeling well, Sif, you ought to visit Eir,” Loki said, caressing her hair now. “If someone can discover what ails you, it would be her.”

“Indeed,” said Sif, nodding. “But it might just be something momentary. Perhaps in a few hours I’ll be fine again.”

“I don’t know about you, dear Sif, but I certainly would rather we take no chances,” he said, frowning. “It might be nothing, but I’d rather we make sure…”

“Oh, is it you’re afraid I might infect you with it or so?” Sif asked, smirking.

“Of course,” said Loki, rolling his eyes. “Well, you’d better not infect me, else who will take care of you if I’m sick too?”

“I don’t need you to take care of me, Trickster,” she said, pinching his nose and making him smile. “I can look out for myself.”

“True enough,” he said, kissing her forehead. “But I like looking out for you, too”

“Then do it, but not because you feel forced to,” said Sif, hugging him. “You are free to do whatever you wish, Loki. Don’t think you’re supposed to do anything you don’t want to for me.”

“I don’t feel forced at all,” he replied, kissing her nose and moving down to her lips. “I feel I should be with you because for some reason I can’t quite fathom… well, this month has been one of the best in my life, if not the best hands down.”

“You can’t fathom it?” Sif repeated, smirking. “It has nothing to do with the fact you’ve had sex with me on a daily basis?”

“Not sure. Maybe,” he said, smirking as well and hugging her closer. The color was returning to her face now, that was a good sign. He held her near him, inhaling her scent and kissing her neck softly.

“Well, if that’s not it, then I fail to understand it,” Sif said, sighing in bliss as he kissed her neck. “I’m fairly certain that’s why it has been such a great month for me.”

“Because of the sex? Or because of me?” Loki inquired sneakily, whispering in her ear.

“I wonder,” Sif replied enigmatically before chuckling, as Loki glared at her playfully.

But Sif knew all too well it was the second option. The sex was, without a doubt, amazing beyond belief… but it was the fact that she enjoyed it with Loki that made it so. She had never known she could be so thrilled to be in the arms of a lover… she had never known what it was like to have Loki as a lover before this, of course. And she was beyond fascinated by him, by their relationship. She wanted nothing more than for it to last for ages…

But the revelations Sif would face later on that very same day would threaten for it to end instead.

Sif was no stranger to Eir’s healing chambers. She had often come here to heal after training injuries as a child, though she took pride in thinking she had come more often to bring someone she had wounded instead. Yet this time there were no injuries to speak of… instead, she had come to seek Eir’s assistance in healing the unpleasant sickness that seemed to have taken over her.

Asgardians hardly ever fell sick, which was something that worried Sif greatly. She wasn’t used to feeling like this, and she didn’t want to get used to it either. So, as soon as she felt fit to come to Eir’s place, she had rushed to the healing chamber. Loki had asked her if she wanted his company but she had declined, telling him it would be best if he carried on with his usual daily routine so they would keep suspicions at bay. They weren’t ready for the rest of the Realm to discover what was happening between them, so the less suspicious they acted, the better for both of them.

Eir raised a questioning eyebrow upon seeing Sif arriving to her chambers in one piece. Usually she had wounds she needed Eir to take care of, or broken bones… but today it was clear her troubles hadn’t been caused in the training grounds. And with a frown, Eir stepped forward towards the pale warrior.

“You look quite bad, Lady Sif,” she said, without any reservations. Sif was used to her forwardness, though, so she took no offense from her comment. “How may I help you?”

“By discovering why I look as bad as I do,” Sif replied, with a sigh. “I’m sorry to impose, Eir, but I just woke up feeling… well, terrible. I threw up, and I’ve had a subtle headache as well. I don’t recall having eaten anything that should produce such effects on me, though.”

“No?” said Eir, raising her eyebrows. “And you’ve never felt this way before? This is the first time you wake like this?”

“Yes,” Sif said, nodding, and Eir bit her lower lip.

“My, my,” she whispered, worrying the shield maiden.

“What is it?” Sif asked, stepping forward. “Eir, if you know what it is, please tell me. How can I cure myself from this condition? I fear it won’t do for me to return to the battlefield if I don’t feel well, so…”

“I’m afraid to say you’re not bound to return to the battlefield anytime soon, Lady Sif. At least, not if you decide to keep it.”

Sif frowned and raised an eyebrow.

“Keep what?”

“What else?” said Eir, smiling at her as she walked towards the Soul Forge. “The child you’ve most likely conceived, Lady Sif.”

Sif’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She stood in place, her mind refusing to accept what Eir had said… how was Eir certain she was with child just by hearing those symptoms, without even performing a thorough examination? She hadn’t told her she had been sexually active, to begin with! Eir was, most likely, wrong. She couldn’t be right. How was it even possible…?

“I don’t believe that’s…” Sif said, shaking her head. “Child? Eir, I… I have no time for children.”

“Well, it would seem you had enough time to make one, but I won’t judge you for that,” said Eir, with a smirk. “Now, come here. Let’s make sure my suspicions are correct.”

Now the color was rushing to Sif’s cheeks. She couldn’t help but blush and cover her mouth with a hand. Yes, of course she’d had enough time for it, but it couldn’t be. She just couldn’t be pregnant.

Still, what if she was? What if she really had a child growing inside her? As she thought about it, she realized they had never thought about methods to prevent conception. Neither Loki nor her had been thoughtful on those regards…

“Lady Sif?” Eir said, bringing her back to reality with the sound of her voice. She stood before the Forge, gesturing at Sif to approach. “If you would…”

Sif swallowed hard and stepped forward, dreading the Forge in ways she never had before. Eir had used it to determine the damage after several nasty injuries she’d sustained… but never had she checked her to find out if she was pregnant. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she pushed herself up on the Forge, and she almost closed her eyes to refuse to see the readings of her energy that would soon hover above her.

Eir conjured the projection quickly, and she took notice of how nervous Sif was.

“You might want to take deep breaths, Lady Sif. It will do no good for you to pass out on the Forge,” she recommended her, and Sif grimaced.

“I’m sorry, but… it’s too sudden,” she said, shaking her head. “I never even thought…”

“Clearly, you did not think of it,” said Eir, looking at the readings of Sif’s energy with interest until she found what she had been looking for. “But you’d do best to start thinking about it now.”

With that, she gestured towards a certain speck of gold in Sif’s projection. It was small, and in the womb’s area… and Sif stared at it in fear as she realized Eir had been right on her first guess.

There was a child within her right now. Her child and Loki’s.

Yggdrasil knew she was not ready for this, Sif thought, as a hand moved up to her forehead and she brushed her hair back. She had never even considered how it would be like to become a mother… let alone had she ever thought a child could come from her union with Loki. So far, she had only been having fun with the Trickster. They had never expected that tiny spark of gold to appear in their lives, or at least, Sif knew she hadn’t expected it at all.

How was she supposed to tell Loki about this? How would he react? Surely he was as ready to become a father as she was to be a mother… yet he would ask about what Eir had told her, no doubt he would. He’d want to know if they were free to continue meeting at night without worrying about her being sick… but she wasn’t sick. Not really. She was merely pregnant with his child.

“Lady Sif?” Eir said, looking at her with concern. “I understand this is a troublesome matter for you, especially considering you are without a husband, but it isn’t the end of the world, if you must know. A child is but a child, many women bear them and they often become powerful warriors all the same as yourself. You could train him, if you wished, in the arts of combat once he’s older…”

“That may be so, Eir, but… I don’t know what to make of this. I’m not ready,” said Sif, gritting her teeth.

“Well, there is an alternative, of course,” said Eir. “If you’re not ready indeed, and you don’t think you will be capable of raising this child… then there’s a course of action we could take to keep this problem from escalating any further.”

Sif frowned and looked at Eir in confusion, finding the woman was looking at her with a sad expression.

“It is up to you to decide, of course,” said Eir. “But if you truly do not want this child…”

“Not want it…?” Sif repeated, sitting up as the golden sparks of the Forge disappeared into nothingness.

She wasn’t ready to have a son or a daughter, no doubt she wasn’t. She hadn’t expected it to happen, at least not anytime soon. Not with Loki, either, let alone when their relationship hardly was anything serious… or at least, it hadn’t been formalized. She knew her parents, and his parents, meant for her to marry Thor, not Loki. Just how twisted would it be for her to marry the brother of the man who had fathered her first born child?

Yet the thought of not wanting said child, Loki’s child… it hadn’t even crossed her mind. She hadn’t considered giving it up, let alone ending his life before it had even begun. It would make everything so much easier, no doubt, to rid herself of the child… but she didn’t want to. If there was one thing she was certain of now, it was that she didn’t want to do that.

What was she to do in that case, though? Was she supposed to bear Loki’s illegitimate child, and then raise him, probably by herself? Loki wasn’t bound to get involved in this, she suspected Odin would have plans for Loki’s marriage as well. Surely the All-Father’s plans for Thor would go awry because she was now carrying Loki’s child… but she doubted Loki would set aside his father’s wishes merely to be with her. He had a duty as a Prince, after all, and she could raise this child without him if need be.

“Lady Sif…” Eir said, as Sif rubbed her temples with her fingertips.

“I… I will let you know what I decide, Eir,” she said, though she already knew she would keep the baby. “But I need time to think about this. It’s just… very sudden.”

“Well, I’ll be here to assist you if you need any help, Lady Sif,” said Eir, as Sif climbed down the Forge. “I’ll only suggest that you tell the father, of course, for it is his child as well.”

“I plan to,” Sif muttered, swallowing hard. “I don’t know how, exactly, but I plan to.”

“Good,” said Eir, smiling. “Then I take it I will be seeing you again soon, Lady Sif.”

“Yes,” said Sif, bowing her head down towards Eir. “I’ll take my leave now. Thank you very much for your assistance.”

“Anything you need, Lady Sif,” Eir said, nodding as Sif made her way through the chamber’s door again.

With a hand on her forehead, Sif walked through Asgard’s streets feeling completely out of her senses. All she could think of was that she was carrying Loki’s child. That single thought passed through her mind time over and time again as her feet took her nowhere, as she tried to digest what this revelation meant to her on the long run.

She spent the whole day away from the Palace, fearing what would happen when she encountered Loki. Her body seemed to return to normal over time, but her mind was still in total disarray. The more she thought about telling Loki, the less she wanted to do it. She wasn’t going to force him to marry her, of course not… but she wanted him to be involved with this, in whichever way it was. This was both their child, after all… but surely the Trickster wouldn’t want that. Why would he? What they had shared during the last month and a half was amazing, but there had been no true commitment to it. They had never established they were exclusive to one another, let alone had they even discussed the idea of a future together. Could they have a future, to begin with? Or was their relationship doomed to fail?

By nightfall she returned to the Palace, with heavy feet. She had a quick meal, avoiding the feast hall where her friends would currently be eating at, telling each other stories and wondering where Sif would be. But until she figured out what to do, and what this new change in her life meant, she wasn’t going to face them. The only one she needed to face was Loki, and she wasn’t quite ready for that yet, she thought, as she walked to her room…

… And there was the Trickster, sitting at the foot of the bed. His head jolted upwards upon hearing the door creak.

“Sif!” he exclaimed, relieved as he stood up and walked towards her. “I’ve been searching for you the whole afternoon. I went to Eir’s, and you weren’t there…”

“You… went to Eir’s?” Sif asked, with a weak smile.

“Well, yes. I thought you might still be there if she was treating you,” said Loki, frowning.

“You told her you had come to see me?” Sif asked, surprised the notion could amuse her.

“Indeed,” said Loki. “Why?”

“No reason, not at all…” said Sif, breathing deeply and shaking her head. Well, now Eir knew who the father was. Sif couldn’t help but wonder if the woman would keep the secret, or if, in no time, the entire Realm would know that Sif carried Loki’s child.

Loki was confused by her behavior, especially by how evasive she was being. Usually she would smile at him and kiss him as soon as she saw him. This time she seemed set on keeping distance, for reasons he couldn’t quite grasp. Maybe she meant for him to take the initiative?

As she closed the door he surrounded her waist with an arm and took her face in his free hand. He kissed her softly and Sif hardly responded, although she caressed his chest gently in exchange for his kind kiss.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, looking at her worriedly.

“Loki…” she muttered, her eyes meeting his.

She lowered her gaze and shook her head, disengaging from his embrace. Surprised by her sudden rejection, Loki watched her as she walked towards her bed and dropped on it, face up. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to compose the words but failing to find the proper way to say it. She simply had to say it though, there was nothing more to it…

“If you want me to leave for tonight, I can go,” Loki said, and Sif’s eyes widened.

“Leave?” she repeated, surprised he had caught that from her behavior. “I… no, that’s not it, Loki.”

“Then what is it?” Loki asked, approaching and sitting next to her. “Did Eir give you bad news? Is something wrong with you? If we need to find some cure, then I’d gladly seek through the entire universe if that’s what it takes…”

“Well, aren’t you sweet,” Sif said, making Loki blush. “Through the whole universe? That is quite a promise, Loki. Should I take that to mean you’d do anything for me?"

“I… well, so long as you’d allow it,” Loki muttered, as Sif sat up and sighed.

“I see,” she whispered, “Yet no journeys to find some complicated potion to heal me will be necessary. I… what ails me has a cure, it really does. It’s merely… that I’m not exactly sick, Loki.”

“Then what is it, Sif?” Loki asked, before she sighed again and, without looking at him, she muttered:

“I’m with child.”

Sif stared at Loki after she delivered the news, the words leaving her mouth with more ease than she expected. Only, of course, Loki hadn’t expected the news at all. He sat in place, his brow contracting slowly as his eyes widened… and he said nothing. He merely stayed as he was, his eyes moving a little as he stopped processing what he was looking at, even. The words Sif had spoken repeated themselves in his mind, and he found himself opening his mouth only to shut it once more, at a loss for what to say.

“Loki…” Sif said, reaching out to touch him now. Clearly, he needed some time to process this information, all the same as she had. Only, she feared he’d need much more of it than she had.

She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand and his eyes darted towards her, guilt-ridden eyes that were soon followed by an apology she hadn’t expected from him.

“I… I’m sorry,” he muttered, and she frowned.

“You’re what?”

“I didn’t mean for this to… I never thought that…” Loki started, incapable of finishing a sentence, let alone stringing them together. “Child, Sif? You… are carrying MY child?”

“Whose if not yours?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been frequenting my bed far too often for it not to be yours. Or is it you take me for a woman who would spread her legs to anyone who…?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean to say that!” Loki said, raising his voice panickedly before lowering it again, worried. “I wasn’t trying to say… no. I mean… I just can’t quite believe it.”

“Well, you’d better start believing it,” said Sif, standing up. “Eir showed it to me through the Forge, and… well, it’s there. There’s nothing else to it.”

“I… I know. It’s only…” said Loki, his hands running down his hair. “I never expected to… oh, I should have thought about it. I should’ve known…”

“That I could wind up pregnant?” Sif asked, smiling. “Well, I didn’t think about it either, at all. We’ve been too reckless”

“We were,” Loki muttered, shaking his head. “So... how far along is it? Did you ask?”

“I… actually didn’t,” Sif admitted. “I was too shocked to even think about that at first. But I suppose it must have happened early on, if I’m showing symptoms now.”

“I can’t quite blame you,” said Loki, his elbows on his knees now as he tried to keep from panicking.

“I know you’re not ready for this, Loki… for that matter, neither am I,” said Sif, sighing. “But I’ve resolved to keep it.”

Loki’s eyes widened again and he lifted his head to look at her in surprise.

“You’ll…? Then that means we’re going to have to…”

“No, we’re not going to have to do anything,” Sif said, placing her hands on Loki’s shoulders. “Loki, I understand this is quite an obstacle for your goals in life, so I do not intend to force anything upon you.”

“My goals?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. “What about yours? You can’t continue fighting if you’re pregnant, Sif. You’re going to have to stop doing everything you wanted just so you can raise the child and…”

“It may be so, but I’m certain I can do it,” Sif said, shrugging and looking at him skeptically. “Or is it you think I cannot raise a child and be a warrior at the same time?”

“My mother used to be a sorceress and a warrior, and she is now Queen,” Loki muttered. “No longer does she frequent the training grounds, and the only magic she used was the one she taught me. Sif… having a child is no easy matter.”

“Well, I don’t believe I said it was. But it is a challenge I mean to face,” Sif said, and Loki shook his head before standing up.

“This is… it is no challenge, Sif,” he said, frowning. “This isn’t a simple matter of proving yourself up to someone’s expectations, be them your own or someone else’s. This is a life… t-the life of our child. You can’t just take it as though it meant…”

“I take it to mean what I know it does,” Sif said, looking at him sternly as well. “You’re not the only one who understands what it means to be a parent, despite how much smarter you are than the rest of the world. I am merely saying, Loki, that you have absolutely no obligation to do anything you don’t want to…”

“I have every obligation, Sif,” Loki said, frowning heavily. “I won’t let you face this by yourself, and I won’t leave you to bear my child while pretending I have nothing to do with this. Perhaps you think I am that irresponsible, but I am not. I will take responsibility and…”

“And you’ll do what?” Sif asked, looking at him with skepticism. “You’ll wed me because you got me with child? You’ll acknowledge him as your son, or daughter, because it is what’s expected of you?”

“Well…”

“You don’t understand, do you?” Sif said, staring at him in disbelief before stepping away. Loki’s face contorted with confusion.

“Why, no, I don’t,” he said, staring after her. “What do you want, Sif? You want me to just leave you to face this on your own? I may have no clue how to be a father, but I know that I won’t do something as low as…”

“I want to have this child, Loki,” Sif said, silencing him as she spoke with determination. “I want to raise him and care for him and… and I don’t even know why I want this, seeing how I’d never wanted such a thing before, but I know I do now. But this, Loki, is what I want. The question is, what do you want? The only reason I’m telling you that you’re free to do as you wish is because I refuse to marry a man who is only doing so because he feels obligated to me. I will not force you to marry me if that will only make you unhappy. I refuse to raise this child in a family with members who don’t want to be a part of it.”

“And why… why wouldn’t I want to be part of it?” Loki asked, frowning.

“I am merely saying, Loki, that I will accept it if you don’t,” Sif said. “I know we didn’t do this for the sake of having a child, neither you nor I did. It was fun while it lasted, and without a doubt you’re the best lover I’ve ever had… but this is no matter to take at leisure anymore. We had our fun. Now we face the consequences. And I, for one, will face them because I, as I said, want to. You’re free not to do so, Loki, if that’s what you want.”

Loki was left opening his mouth and shutting it again, not knowing what to do. He wanted to tell Sif he would be with her through thick and thin, but he was rather confused by what she was saying now. If he was free to do as he wanted, why was she so reluctant upon hearing him tell her that he wanted to marry her and raise their child together with her? What was Sif truly trying to say? Was it she actually didn’t want him involved…?

He wouldn’t blame her if that were the case. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he would make a terrible father. Well, perhaps not… but he wasn’t certain he would be good at the job. He feared he would be quite useless at it, for he hardly could control himself when it came to pranks and mischief. How was he supposed to keep a child at bay? He would only cause Sif more trouble… and she probably knew as much. Maybe that was why she kept pushing him away.

“Well, then, I…” he muttered, not knowing what to do or say. For Sif’s sake, he would back off… but something inside him ached to tell her he would stay beside her. Still, he held back. There was nothing better he could do. “I’ll just…”

“This is only just beginning anyways, Loki,” said Sif, sighing. “You’re free to think about what you’ll do for as long as you need to. Just know that I mean to keep it.”

“Very well, then,” said Loki, frowning. “I, uh… I suppose I’ll see you later. Do you mean to inform anyone else about this?”

“Well, not right away,” said  Sif, biting her lower lip. “I’ll visit Eir again tomorrow to find out how much we’ve progressed so far. I’ll let you know what she tells me.”

“I would appreciate that, yes,” said Loki, nodding and making for the door. “Well, goodbye, then.”

Sif nodded in his direction as well as he left the room. She sighed and dropped on the bed again, feeling she should have been kinder to him if only to have him beside her for one more night. Without Loki, her bed would feel empty.

She knew this didn’t mark the end of what they’d had… but Sif could only see bleak horizons for their relationship right now. Surely Loki didn’t want to raise a child, so while he might accept his role as a father, he wasn’t bound to choose Sif and their son above his mischief and freedom. And she wouldn’t force him to relinquish them, albeit she almost wanted to. Doing this by herself was scarier than she expected it to be.

She had decided she wanted to have the baby, but only now she realized she wanted to have him with Loki. But she couldn’t know if she would be so fortunate. Not after what she had told him. Surely he would choose whatever was easiest for him… and she was never the easier choice, or at least, she doubted she would be in this case.

With a sigh, she curled up in the bed while trying to ignore how his scent still lingered in it. Eventually she settled with inhaling it, just for the sake of feeling he was there even though he wasn’t. Who knew if he ever would be again.

* * *

Loki wandered towards his room, his feet leading the way as he thought about the matter in every possible way. Sif was pregnant with his child… he was going to be a father. He wasn’t married to her, though, and from the sound of it, she wasn’t interested in being married to him. Why, though? She seemed to enjoy herself with him so far. Was it she’d rather have his brother? Then why did she say otherwise back in the cave? Why bother sleeping with him even after returning to Asgard if she didn’t really want him as he had wanted her…?

He dropped on a large couch in his room, his head in his hands as he tried to calm down. Sif had told him to do as he wished, almost, but it didn’t seem likely that he would get away with that. He would wish to marry her, to raise their son or daughter together with her, but it looked as though she wouldn’t allow it. She wanted to keep the child, but it seemed she didn’t want him around…

“And what might be troubling you, Loki?”

He nearly jumped upon hearing his mother’s voice. She had caught sight of him through the door Loki had left ajar, and she pushed it open as she walked through the threshold. He stood up brusquely and found Frigga was smiling at him, as warmly as she always did. She approached him and caressed his cheek lovingly, and Loki only pouted slightly.

“Why is it you always assume something troubles me, Mother?” he inquired, and she laughed.

“If you made it less obvious, perhaps I wouldn’t have to jump to that conclusion,” she said, and Loki sighed.

“You seem to understand me far better than I do myself,” he said, and she smiled.

“That would be one of the many skills of a mother, Loki. I’d expect you to know that by now,” she said, and she didn’t fail to notice the way her son’s expression darkened upon those words. “Loki?”

“M-Mother, I…” he started, before lowering his gaze. His hands came together and he stared at them nervously, not knowing how to tell her about the problem he was facing right now.

“What is it, Loki?” she asked, leading him to the same couch he had been sitting on. She took her place next to him, her hands on his. “You can tell me, whatever it is.”

Of course she’d think it would be easy to tell her, but it was anything other than easy, Loki thought bitterly. She wasn’t bound to take the news well, surely she also believed Sif was supposed to marry Thor… well, at least Loki guessed she might. She probably wouldn’t be happy to hear he had gotten a woman with child, especially when that woman was Sif. Still, perhaps she would be pleased to have grandchildren, no matter who their mother was, or that Loki hadn’t married her…?

“W-well, Mother, you see…” Loki muttered, swallowing hard. He took a deep breath before muttering, softly. “While in Jotunheim, Sif and I… we were separated from the rest of the group for a short time. She was truly cold, so I helped her regain her warmth, but you could say that one thing led to the next, and…”

“Ah?” Frigga said, raising her eyebrows as her son blushed. “Why, that’s rather bold of you, Loki. I would have expected you to court the Lady if you were interested.”

“I… as though I would’ve been allowed,” said Loki, rolling his eyes. “In any case, it matters little whether I would have courted her or not. Because now, well… she only just told me that she’s…”

Frigga waited patiently for Loki to finish his sentence, albeit she already knew what he would say. She squeezed his fingers with a hand as he sighed heavily.

“She carries my child, Mother. My… mine. It’s my son, or daughter, I don’t know but it is,” he said, shaking his head and refusing to look at Frigga. “And I fear she won’t ever face me again, not like she used to. Because I’ve ruined her life. I… I should have never done anything about what I felt towards her, and I know it now. All along, our relationship was meant to fail.”

“And why would you say such a thing?” Frigga asked, surprised. “Won’t you acknowledge the child? Surely you would mean to marry her, or is it you do not wish to do so? Perhaps it is Sif who is unwilling?”

“I believe she is,” Loki muttered, looking at his mother with sad eyes. “I only just spoke to her, and she said she meant to keep our child, but that… that she didn’t want me to feel as though I had any obligations to her. But I do, Mother. She’s carrying my child, I obviously would have obligations to her!”

“Of course,” said Frigga, sighing softly.

“But I guess it means… I guess it means she doesn’t want me involved,” said Loki, sighing as well and pulling his hands out of his mother’s. “She surely believes that… that I won’t be as good a father as her child deserves.”

“You offered to marry her, Loki?” Frigga inquired.

“She hardly allowed me to do so,” Loki muttered. “As soon as I was about to say it, she cut me off.”

“I see,” said Frigga. “Well, that may seem rather troublesome to you, but I believe you’re not being as perceptive as usual. Your emotions can be unreliable, Loki. You ought to know as much. They can cloud your better judgment, and prevent you from seeing that things might not be as they look upon first glance.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, frowning.

“What I mean, my son, is that Sif may not be cutting you off, as you put it,” she said. “Your relationship with her… did you carry on pursuing her romantically after what happened in Jotunheim?”

“I did,” Loki confessed. “It isn’t as though we had decided it was a one-time thing. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be. Sif is… well, I have always, towards her…”

“You have loved the Lady Sif ever since you were children, yes,” said Frigga, and Loki sighed.

“Indeed I have,” he muttered, admitting it aloud for the first time. “But I guess… I guess those feelings will merely go to waste. If she reciprocated my love, surely she wouldn’t have been so eager to push me away.”

“In fact, I’d rather say otherwise,” Frigga said, startling Loki.

“What? Why would you think otherwise?” he asked, with wide eyes.

“Loki, a woman’s heart is difficult to understand at times,” said Frigga, brushing back some loose strands of his hair. “But the only purpose of Sif’s actions and words today was to give you freedom to choose what you want. She wouldn’t want you to stay with her if it wasn’t what you desired. She wants to carry your child, Loki, doesn’t she?”

“She said as much,” he replied, biting his lower lip.

“If she disliked you, and wanted nothing to do with you, for starters she would have never allowed you to… well, to do what must be done in order to get her with child,” said Frigga, with a smile. Loki blushed. “But not only did she accept you, but she now wishes to bear your son, regardless if you’ll acknowledge him or not.”

“You may think it’s proof of her feelings, mother, but I doubt it,” said Loki. “She has enjoyed herself with me, I’m certain, but it doesn’t mean her feelings for me were as deep as mine for her. And to her, well… it seems to her, pulling through this ordeal of having a child is but a challenge or so. I doubt she’s choosing to keep the child because she loves me, Mother.”

“And I doubt she’s as reckless as to take this to be a mere challenge,” said Frigga. “Challenging it will be, no doubt, but if Lady Sif did not want this child, she could have given it up altogether. Eir has her ways to make that happen for those maidens and ladies who aren’t ready to become mothers, for one reason or another.”

“Perhaps she didn’t think of that,” said Loki, with a dry smile. “Honestly, Mother…”

“You give Lady Sif too little credit.”

“And it would seem you give her too much. Why would she feel anything towards me at all, Mother?” Loki asked, rolling his eyes.

“Perhaps because you’re a handsome prince who has been her friend since you were both children,” said Frigga, smiling. “And you helped her through the snow storm in Jotunheim, did you not? You saved her life by staying with her, by keeping her warm. Without you, she could have died, Loki. What woman wouldn’t love a man who does such deeds without asking for anything in return?”

“Sif?” said Loki, smiling again and shrugging. “Honestly, Mother. I don’t think you understand her as well as you think you do. Sif is not like other women.”

“Nor does it seem you understand her,” said Frigga, making Loki frown and send a childish glare her way. “Perhaps she isn’t all that different from other women as you think she is. In truth, Loki, Sif is trying to spare herself, and you, and your child, from the troubles that could come if you had been to offer to marry her only by obligation. Yours would have become a dysfunctional family, you see. You might have been unhappy, and she did not want that. She gave you freedom so you would choose what you wanted from your life, not so she could push you away and keep your son while forgetting all about what happened between the two of you.”

“So you’re saying, if I returned to her now and told her that I truly wish to be with her, to be the father of her child, she would accept me?” Loki asked “Do you really think she would?”

“If you do so because you want to, naturally, she would.” Frigga said, smiling.

“And what if you’re wrong?” Loki asked. “What if she tells me she will do this on her own, and wants me to have no part in raising this child?”

“Then you can come back to me proudly and tell me just how wrong I was, dear,” said Frigga, and Loki sighed.

“I would rather not have to do so,” Loki said. “I don’t think I’m ready to hear Sif tell me that she doesn’t want me anymore. I just…”

“You’re just so convinced the worst will happen that you cannot picture the best,” said Frigga- “But this isn’t as simple as you might think, Loki. This isn’t a matter with only one solution. This is a matter with many alternatives: you could tell Sif you wish to be with her and your son, or you could tell her you would only want to be the father of the son, without taking her as your wife. You could also have nothing more to do with her, if you wish…”

“Well, I don’t wish that,” Loki stated, matter-of-factly. “Nor for the second option you mentioned-”

“Then you want to be her husband? You want to be the child’s father?”

“I do,” he said, before even realizing what he was saying.

Marrying Sif… it would be a dream come true for him. He had never allowed himself to imagine what it would be like, but now as he thought about it, he realized it was all he could have ever wanted. Waking up beside her every day, caring for their son along with her, sitting beside her in feasts while holding her hand…

He frowned for a moment before looking at his mother questioningly. He had failed to notice until now, but she had been using a certain word to refer to his child with Sif…

“You’ve said it’ll be a son” he muttered, eyes widening. “Why do you think so? Are you certain…?”

“Oh? I hardly think anyone could tell just yet,” Frigga replied evasively, but Loki frowned again. His mother was a seer, he knew as much. Had she known from the start that he would deliver these news to her? Did she already know if Sif would be willing to accept him as her husband? Had she seen them with their child?

“But you said…”

“Now, now, Loki, call it the intuition of a mother,” Frigga said now, and Loki’s eyes widened. So far he had been certain Sif wouldn’t accept him, but perhaps his mother knew better because she had seen what Loki’s future had in store for him. Perhaps he was, indeed, being far too negative about this matter…

“Then… a son,” he repeated, his eyes wide. “And Sif… you believe she will take me as her husband?”

“If you truly want to be her husband, then I’m certain she would,” said Frigga, smiling.

“I… I do, Mother,” said Loki, his eyes alight with hope again. “I want to. More than I even realized I did. I just never believed… but what will Father say?”

“Oh, if anyone needs to talk matters with your Father, I’m certain I will suffice,” said Frigga, with a mischievous smile.

“Then you’d convince him to accept this?” Loki repeated, with a weak smile. “And then, Sif and I…”

“Only if you tell her the truth of what you want, Loki,” said Frigga, caressing his cheek. “Sif will be wholeheartedly invested in this marriage. You should be, also. So long as you are, I’m certain everything will be wonderful for the both of you.”

Loki’s smile widened now and he nodded, knowing now what he had to do. Being a father was still a terrifying thought, but surely Sif was scared of being a mother all the same. If he spoke to her to let her know he would support her throughout her pregnancy, and that he would be most happy to marry her if that was what she wanted, then perhaps Sif would feel relieved upon knowing she wouldn’t face this by herself. Perhaps, as his mother believed, Sif would want to marry him. Chances were she might love him, all the same as he loved her…

Loki resolved to seek Sif out the next day, albeit he was quite eager to see her right away. Despite his mother’s words, there was still some room for doubt… so he guessed it would be best for him to give Sif some space. Perhaps she needed it, for now. Tomorrow, though, he would finally tell her how he felt. He would ask her to marry him, and to let him be the father of her son… and the more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. Things never went this well for him. Could that be any different now that it came to Sif?

By the time morning arrived, he had barely slept at all. He had tossed and turned on his bed through the night, and only found comfort and peace when the sun was rising. It was already mid-afternoon when he woke up. He scrambled out of bed hastily, tripping over sheets as he hurried to look presentable. He should have been more careful about falling asleep in the morning, this never failed to happen when he slept late…

He rushed through the Palace hallways, worried about where Sif might be. Usually she would be training, but he doubted she’d continue with her routine now that she had found out she was expecting a child. A son. A boy… Loki couldn’t help but smile, wondering how Sif would take those news. Surely she would be happy to have a young man to train in the arts of battle…

As he suspected, Sif wasn’t in the training grounds. His brother waved happily at him when Loki approached, asking him to join the bouts, but Loki declined. He had important matters to tend to. Thor could wait.

He rushed through the Palace again, looking into her room but finding it deserted. Again, he headed to Eir’s chambers, but it seemed the healer was already resting for the night.

Feeling as though he was in the middle of a goose chase, Loki gave up and decided to join the rest of Asgard’s warriors for dinner. Hopefully, once he had a full stomach, his luck would improve and he’d finally find Sif.

Naturally, as soon as he gave up on his search, if only momentarily, he was fated to come across the one he had been looking for. Sitting by the table with Frigga, Sif was currently eating a smaller meal than the ones she usually did nowadays. Loki’s hands started trembling as soon as he saw her. Was it wiser to wait instead of reaching out for Sif right away? Surely it would be quite embarrassing to approach her while she spoke to his mother… what were they speaking about, though? He couldn’t help but feel curious.

“Brother!” Thor exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Loki’s shoulders. He had only just entered the dining hall, and he was quick to notice Loki was standing on its threshold, staring at Sif nervously. “Will you at least dine with me, seeing how you didn’t bother sparring?”

“Thor,” said Loki, looking at his brother with surprise. “Well, I…”

With that, Thor guided Loki towards the table Sif and Frigga were sharing, and along with the Warriors Three, the five of them took their seats. Sif smiled at them and dodged their questions about where she had been for the day while Loki stared at her knowingly. His eyes betrayed his intentions to talk to Sif, for they were fixed upon her throughout the entire meal. To his relief, Sif didn’t seem reluctant to talk to him. Her gaze met his quite often, and he saw no hardness nor coldness in her eyes. Maybe his mother had spoken to Sif, to let her know he meant to marry her, and not because he was supposed to, but because he truly wished to do so. Or perhaps his mother had only been speaking with Sif about trivial matters. Yet, knowing his mother as well as he did, Loki was quite certain that wouldn’t be the case.

Once her plate was empty, rather soon, Loki noticed, Sif excused herself from the table. The others seemed not to mind her departure, but she gave Loki a last glance he understood rather well. She would be waiting for him. She wanted to know what he’d choose.

To prevent the others from suspecting anything, Loki remained at the table for a while longer. Eventually, when he had finished eating, he got ready to leave, but his mother insisted he escort her to her chambers. As ever, he did so without complaint, leaving behind Thor and the Warriors Three, who were enjoying their second ( in Volstagg’s case, fourth) course as Loki led Frigga away.

“You spoke to Sif?” Loki asked, looking at his mother warily as they walked through the Palace.

“Why, yes, it is courteous to speak to those who share your table,” Frigga replied quite evasively, making Loki grimace.

“I meant… about what I told you yesterday,” Loki said.

Frigga laughed softly as they stopped at the room she shared with Odin. She turned and looked at Loki with a kind smile and caressed his face gently.

“It isn’t proper to pry into private conversations, Loki,” she said, making him frown. “Nevertheless…”

She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I’m certain you’ll find matters will go smoothly, so long as you do what you resolved to,”

Loki stood in place momentarily, even after his mother closed the door behind her. After a moment he shook his head and took a deep breath. It was all or nothing now, and he never settled for nothing. He took pride in that.

He started down the Palace again, set on reaching Sif’s room… until he spotted her on one of the Palace’s balconies, leaning down as she watched the lights of Asgard glittering beautifully in the middle of the night.

He swallowed hard before approaching her warily, uncertain if she had been waiting for him or perhaps she only wanted to be by herself. Yet he had to try, even if he was nervous and unsure of himself. It was now or never.

“Sif…” he whispered, from the balcony’s threshold.

She didn’t seem surprised to hear his voice, yet she turned her head towards him all the same, giving him a questioning look. Loki froze at that.

“I would have expected the mysterious Trickster to be capable of keeping secrets from his mother,” she asked, and he blushed. Despite herself, Sif smiled at him. “But I suppose I should give your mother some credit. ”

“She got it out of me before I could even consider hiding it from her,” Loki muttered. In truth, he hadn’t even considered not telling his mother, but Sif needn’t know that…

“Indeed, I guess so,” Sif whispered, avoiding his gaze. “According to Eir, the baby is already over a month old. It’d seem it happened in one of our first escapades, if not back in Jotunheim, even.”

“Then is he healthy? Is everything going well?” Loki asked, stepping forward towards Sif.

“It would seem so,” said Sif, relieved by how worried he was about the child, even when they had only known of its existence for two days. Perhaps Frigga had been right to tell her earlier that Loki’s desires weren’t as selfish as many people assumed.

It wasn’t as though Sif had ever thought Loki was selfish, though. She knew he wasn’t. Upon a training mishap, where her hair had been cut in the most embarrassing manner, Loki had been the only one who attempted to appease Sif’s sorrows. Fandral had laughed, children as they were at the time, thinking her accident had been funny. Thor had said she might actually find her accidental haircut to be convenient, for perhaps having long hair wouldn’t be a great idea in battle. Her parents had called her vain, and evem her brother Heimdall, the all-seer, didn’t seem to think her disgraces were all that important.

But Loki… Loki had charged into Nidavellir by himself upon hearing of what had happened to Sif. Heimdall hadn’t wanted to allow him passage, but upon the boy’s insistence, he did. And Loki had returned to offer Sif golden, magical hair to replace that which she had lost. Why had he done it, Sif did not know. And why had he been so disappointed to see his great deed had failed him, when the magical hair only served to turn Sif’s hair black, Sif did not know either.

But afterwards, she would realize that was the moment when she had fallen in love with Loki. It was then that she started to imagine him as the man she wanted to share her life with. She hadn’t really thought it possible back then, though, for an array of reasons… but maybe it could be more than just a childish fantasy. What they had was already so much more than that.

“I’m glad to know he’s well,” Loki said, with a nervous smile. “It’s quite a relief. Though I suppose this is only the beginning, but at the very least, your pregnancy is off to a good start.”

“It seems it is,” said Sif, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. “And… well, is that all you wanted to hear? Or is it…?”

“Is it what?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. Sif sighed and shook her head before smiling a little.

“Frigga seemed to believe you had many things to say to me. But for once, in all the time I’ve known you, the Silver-tongued Prince seems to be at a loss for words.”

“What did she say to you?” Loki asked, biting his lower lip. “If… if I may ask. I tried to ask her but she didn’t…”

“Loki…” said Sif, smiling and shaking her head again. “I don’t really think what your mother said is that important. Not as much as… as whatever it is you might say now. She said you had come to realize what you wanted, what mattered most to you. I’d like to hear what that is, for better or for worse, if you’d be willing to tell me.”

“I… I am willing, yes,” Loki said, nodding and stepping forward towards her. Sif looked at him with hopeful eyes, despite herself. The way she looked at him made Loki realize his mother had been right all along. She had understood Sif much better than he ever would, Loki feared… but no. He would try to understand her better from now on. He would do everything in his power to do so. “Sif... I just… well, I apologize for what happened yesterday. I must have appeared too eager to you, perhaps, and it would seem you believed I was only worried about you, and our child, because I believed I had to be. I’m sorry I made you think I felt forced, or cornered… and I’m thankful for how you allowed me to have freedom to make my decisions, regardless what they would be.”

“It was only the right thing to do,” said Sif, smiling a little.

“And yet I realized yesterday that the right thing to do often isn’t the one thing we want to do,” said Loki, frowning. “It may seem that way, but there is a difference between doing the right thing and to follow your wishes.”

Sif’s stomach sank at that. She sighed and nodded, but Loki moved even closer to her, taking her by surprise.

“So tell me, Lady Sif… what is it you want?” he asked, and her eyes widened. “You may have given me freedom to choose, but in these regards, that wasn’t what you wanted to do, or was it?”

“And how would you know what I wanted or what I didn’t want?” Sif asked, defensively. “Since when are you so skilled at reading me, Trickster?”

Loki chuckled and shook his head.

“I don’t believe I’m skilled at it,” he muttered, looking at her nervously. “I truly wish I were. If only I had been able to read you before, I would have attempted to pursue a relationship with you long before what happened in Jotunheim. But both because I failed at reading you, and because I feared you might reject me, I never dared.”

“You feared rejection?” Sif repeated.

“I did… and perhaps I still do,” Loki muttered, despite himself. “As much as I wish I didn’t. Yet… for a time I thought perhaps you did not want me with you. That you wanted to prove to the world you could raise our child on your own.”

“I could do so, Loki,” Sif said, shrugging, despite the pangs of pain she felt in her chest. “Honestly, it’s not as though I would run to you or anyone else for support because…”

“Because you mean to prove you’re above challenges.” Loki said, with a sigh. “And we know you are, Sif. Everybody does. But this is no challenge. This is… this is your life, and the life of our child. This isn’t about what you can do by yourself, Sif, but… but about what you want us to do together, if you want us to do anything at all.”

Sif stared into his eyes, finding the honesty in them that he hardly ever showed anyone. He was the Liesmith, the Trickster, the man who often hid in the shadows to conceal countless secrets Sif still knew nothing about. Yet, for her, he was being honest. He was baring his heart to her.

“Well… I think you know what I want,” Sif said, sighing. “It’s only that I… I won’t force anything of the sort upon you. You’re a Prince, and you must have had dreams and goals in life that you might not accomplish if you’re forced to spend your days married to me, being the father of our child…”

Her words made him smile with a joy he hadn’t felt in his entire life. It was closer to euphoria, in fact. She wanted to marry him. That was what she had said, wasn’t it?

“So as much as I may want what I want, I know I can’t just… I won’t demand anything you’re not willing to provide,” Sif said. “Even if you decided not to get involved with our child’s life, I would accept it. I surely wouldn’t forgive you for it, as you must imagine, but I would be able to live with it, despite it all. I don’t think I’d be able to live with forcing you to get involved just because you believe it is your responsibility.”

“And have you ever considered I might want to get involved?” Loki asked, frowning. “It almost seems as though you were certain I want no part in this. Is it you believe I was only with you for the fun of it? Because fun it was, there’s no denying it, but I was certain… I was certain you knew it was much more than that.”

“You…” Sif said, taking a deep breath before dropping her gaze and laughing a little. “Why… I hadn’t really considered it, no. It seemed too good to be true. A wonderful illusion to indulge in, too wonderful to endure the pain it would have caused me if it had been shattered. So I just…”

“Settled with the worst case scenario, it would seem,” Loki said, with a smile, as he caressed Sif’s cheek. “But if there’s one thing you needn’t fear, Lady Sif, it’s that I might drive you away because we have different interests or so. I had dreams, Sif… dreams I never believed possible, for most of them involved you. But right now… right now it would seem they can come to pass. And I would have to be a fool to let the opportunity go to waste. For the longest time, Sif, I have… well, my feelings towards you, they…”

He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head upon how difficult it was to say the words. Even though she had voiced her wishes already, a certain, fearful part of him believed she might still push him away, despite it all.

“I’ve never felt towards anyone in the way I do towards you, Sif,” Loki whispered. “The past month has been, by far, the best in my life. So… do you really think I’d only marry you out of obligation? Do you think I… I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life as I have the past month?”

“But it won’t be the same anymore, Loki,” Sif said, clasping his hand in hers. “It won’t be reckless sex, or sneaking around to hide our relationship…”

“No, most certainly not,” Loki replied. “Now I will hold your hand before the entire Realm, and they’ll know, Sif. They’ll know that we… that I…”

“That you what, Loki?” Sif asked, stepping forward, looking at him inquisitively. “Loki…”

He sighed again and smiled weakly. It truly was hard to say that simple word, but she was worth it. She deserved to hear it.

“That I love… you,” he said, breathing out in relief after saying it, at long last. “And that I always will.”

The expression on her face softened immediately, and she stared at him with both disbelieving and doting eyes. Slowly, she started to smile. Eventually, her smile turned into laughter. Loki was filled with relief upon her reaction, and he smiled as well, his hand still in hers.

“You do, do you?” she muttered, tears filling her eyes. “And why in the name of Yggdrasil didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“B-because....” he said, as she laughed more. “I feared you would reject me, I admit it. Why would you have accepted a love-struck fool of a prince, Lady Sif?”

“Perhaps because the Lady Sif is another love-struck fool?” she said, still smiling more brightly than Loki had ever seen her. “I love you as well, Loki. I have for such a long time… too long, truly. And…”

He leaned down and kissed her, all concerns forgotten after she had made her confession as well. He had her love, it seemed… and with that, Loki felt he needed nothing more. Not while he had her.

Sif kissed him back enthusiastically, having missed him in ways she never knew she could. It hardly seemed they had only been apart for one day. She pulled closer to him, wishing to bask in the full contact between their bodies. Loki’s free arm surrounded her waist, bringing her as close as she could be to him.

They parted shortly, and Sif couldn’t stop smiling. She pressed her forehead to his as he looked at her with amazement. The hand on her cheek slid back towards her hair, and he brushed a lock of it with his fingers, thinking about how well it suited her to wear her hair down.

His lips were only inches away from hers when he whispered:

“Marry me.”

The words brought a smile to his face now as well. Sif kissed him once more, in a sudden drive of passion and joy. Her arms went around his neck now, and she only pulled away from his lips for an instant to reply:

“Yes.”

They continued to kiss, both laughing and smiling amongst their caresses, as Sif repeated her response time over and time again, as though she had never accepted any requests before in her life. They had never been requests such as this one, of course. Nobody had ever offered her everything she could have wanted from life in two simple words before. Yet the eloquent Trickster, a master of words, had done it without hardly trying. For she loved him, and now he knew it. And he loved her as well. They would marry, and have a family…

Neither of them were used to happiness of this sort, and their euphoria made it apparent. They made love that night without any restraints whatsoever, simply giving themselves to one another as thoroughly as possible. They fell asleep with their bodies pressed together harmoniously, smiles on both their faces. They didn’t know how others would react upon the news of their imminent wedding and Sif’s pregnancy… but that was a matter to worry about on the next day, not while they were together like this.

* * *

Odin had clad himself with his golden sleeping robe when his wife, who was already lying on the bed, suddenly smiled at him in that way she usually did when she was about to reveal something she had been hiding. It was an expression unique to her, Odin knew. Thor had never been one for secrets, and when Loki was hiding something, he usually didn’t reveal it altogether. But Frigga… Frigga knew everything, Odin believed. The intelligent glint in her eyes was something to be feared at any point in time, but that smile… that smile always chilled him to the marrow, despite how warm it was. It meant she believed he was ready to hear whatever she wanted to disclose, but Odin never was. So he took a deep breath and looked at her with his single eye.

“Is there anything you wish to tell me, Frigga?” he asked, almost by force of habit. He already knew she wanted to say something.

“Why, indeed, dear,” she said, grinning. “I have news for you.”

“News?” Odin said, huffing a little. “Well, that can’t be good, can it?”

“And why wouldn’t it be? Honestly dear, you should have a happier outlook on life. Miracles happen everywhere, and you won’t appreciate them if you’re so stoic all the time.”

“And what miracle is this you’re talking about?” he said. “Assuming there’s a miracle to speak of...”

“It just so happens that there will be a wedding in Asgard soon,” said Frigga, enthusiastically, and Odin frowned.

“A wedding?” he repeated, relieved by how innocent the information was.

“Yes, a wedding,” said Frigga. “Of one of your sons, no less.”

Now Odin’s eye snapped wide open. Naturally, it couldn’t be that simple a matter if Frigga looked so thrilled about it. He stumbled towards the bed, looking at Frigga in disbelief.

“One of my sons? Surely you don’t mean Thor. He wouldn’t ask for a woman’s hand in marriage without telling me first… no, that’s wrong. In fact, Thor likely would. Not Loki, Loki knows better than to throw himself at such developments without thinking. Thor, though… ah, Frigga, he knows he’s meant to marry Lady Sif. What has he done? Did he get a girl with child?”

“Why, yes,” said Frigga, her eyebrows raised as she looked at Odin with an amused grin. “Lady Sif is with child.”

Odin was the one raising his eyebrows now, and he actually smiled at his wife before frowning in confusion.

“Lady Sif… with child? Is that why she’s marrying Thor?”

“It is the reason why she’ll be marrying hastily, yes,” Frigga said, nodding. “But I didn’t say it was Thor she would marry.”

Odin was confused at first, but upon Frigga’s mischievous smile he put the puzzle together. His mouth fell open, and he shook his head while Frigga nodded.

“Not… not Loki. He wouldn’t… no, Frigga, you…” he said, shaking his head. “Loki wouldn’t possibly…! Thor, if anything, but Loki?! He’s not the sort of man who would bed a woman and leave her…!”

“With child? Well, he did, but he’s more than happy to take responsibility,” said Frigga. “And it’s not a random woman, mind you. It’s Lady Sif. For the longest time you wished to see her marry our son, didn’t you? Well, now she will.”

“B-but I didn’t mean for it to be that son!” Odin exclaimed.

“And what’s so wrong with her marrying Loki, mind you? It seems they love each other deeply,” said Frigga. “And they will have a son, so there really is nothing you can do to stop this by now, Odin. It’s wonderful, so I don’t see why you would want it to stop, to begin with.”

Frigga’s smile was starting to wane, so Odin knew it meant he was better off by not fighting the matter anymore. Yet it wasn’t so much about him wanting to fight it, but rather, about wanting to understand it. Loki, the well-behaved, proper son, had gotten Sif, the woman destined to be his brother’s wife, with child.

That last thought made Odin stop on his tracks, and his eye widened as his jaw trembled. Soon enough he muttered the word, though, as if saying it aloud would help him grasp its meaning…

“A grandchild,” he muttered, and Frigga looked at him, amused again. “I’ll be a…”

“A grandfather, yes,” Frigga said, smiling. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Aaaah…” said Odin, looking at Frigga with panic-ridden eyes. “I am not ready to be a grandfather, Frigga. This is too sudden.”

“Well, surely it will be easier than being a father,” said Frigga, smiling. “You can be more easygoing with your grandchild, it will be his own parents’ task to raise him.”

“Indeed, but… A grandchild,” he said, sighing heavily. “You seem thrilled, of course, but this isn’t…”

“Part of your plans?” Frigga asked, smiling and moving closer to him so she could kiss his cheek. “Not everything must be planned for it to be the right thing, my dear. Life has its way of surprising all of us.”

“Not you, surely,” said Odin, smiling a little. “My queen is the truly wise one here. She understands Yggdrasil’s workings better than anyone else.”

“Ah, and don’t you forget it,” Frigga said proudly, as Odin laughed, trying to mask his anxiety over becoming a grandfather.

Said anxiety didn’t decrease the next day, when Loki and Sif requested an audience with him, to communicate their circumstances to him. Loki was rather nervous, but he could tell his father had been forewarned when Odin’s reaction wasn’t as explosive as he had expected. Surely Frigga had spoken to him already, as she had told Loki she would… and indeed, that had made matters easier. The Queen was present during this encounter as well, and Loki had the feeling Odin wouldn’t dare speak his mind while she stood beside him, with that gentle and menacing smile on her face.

Odin had remained quite impassive, only rubbing his temples with his fingers when Loki told him about Sif’s status. He frowned at his son, and Loki felt his displeasure only then, before he sighed and declared that, upon this unforeseen situation, they would do best to marry immediately.

It was a whole different thing to tell Sif’s parents, though. She told Loki not to come with her, knowing both her mother and father would react quite badly upon hearing she was carrying the child of the Second, rather than First, Prince of Asgard. And indeed, the reactions were as she expected. Her mother was noticeably more shaken, asking her what had happened to her sense of duty and to all the plans they had always drawn for her future. Sif hadn’t quite answered anything, knowing nothing she said would appease her mother up until she finally declared she would marry Loki. It was then that her father intervened, relieved, and told his wife that, if this were the case, there was no point in complaining. It wouldn’t be Thor, but it didn’t need to be Thor, did it?

Sif’s mother hadn’t approved at first, and indeed, she spent several weeks with a furrowed brow because of the matter. Yet at least she had enough sense not to complain when Loki himself showed up at their doorstep, Frigga and Odin with him. By then, she was on her best behavior, to Sif’s relief, and thanks to Frigga’s kind and appeasing demeanor, Sif’s mother was soon less eager to complain about the union of their children.

The reactions of the rest of the realm upon the news of the wedding came soon afterwards, and several of them were quite amusing for Loki. Namely, that of the Warriors Three. Hogun’s eyes widened, something quite rare in him, and his mouth had fallen open as he looked from Loki to Sif in confusion. It seemed he had suspected they were involved, but never had he thought they would marry. Volstagg had taken Sif by the shoulders and shaken her, asking her if this was merely a jest until she struck him in the brow and made him acknowledge she was being serious. Fandral paled, wondering if his mocking questions back while they were at the cave had been spot-on… and Loki confirmed it when he asked him about it, while Sif continued to tell Volstagg that this was, indeed, what she wanted. Fandral swallowed hard at Loki’s admission, and patted him on the shoulder before muttering he was beyond impressed, before walking up to Sif and wishing her a lifetime of happiness with the Trickster, despite not quite understanding how such an event had come to pass.

Nevertheless, the best reaction was Thor’s. Not because it was comical in itself, but because, once he digested the information, he started laughing. He walked up to Sif and hugged her, calling her his sister before ruffling Loki’s hair and teasing him for having won over the fearsome Lady Sif. Loki was quite flustered by that, but Sif’s heartfelt joy upon the three of them finally becoming a family was enough for Loki’s brooding to end quickly.

The news of the child were held back until after the wedding ceremony was held, despite several people knew about it already. Nevertheless, nothing was made public until a month after the ceremony where Loki and Sif were sworn to one another for the rest of their lives.

The smile on Sif’s face that day was unforgettable for Loki. He hadn’t even dared dream of this moment… yet now he was living it. And the entire realm was witnessing their union, as they stood before Odin while he performed the proper rites to join Loki and Sif in matrimony.

Their hands were linked together through the ceremony, feeling the other’s familiar warmth while knowing this was the beginning of something wonderful. When they leaned to kiss one another, the entire ceremony hall burst into applause, but they almost failed to notice, for they were completely lost in one another. Even Odin realized, by that moment, that this was indeed the best course of action to take. Not just because of the child Sif was expecting… but because they joy of the two lovers was such that no one could have the heart to keep them apart.

When at last, the child was revealed to Sif and Loki’s closest acquaintances, Thor was the first one to jump off the chair he had been sitting on before laughing cheerfully and hugging his brother, claiming he had always known Loki had it in him to father a child. Naturally, Loki was embarrassed, but pleased nonetheless. To his surprise, Volstagg started to give Sif advice on motherhood right away, for his wife had given him many children and he had much wisdom to share with her. Hogun was the only one who looked at Loki questioningly, and afterwards complimented him on his extraordinary timing for getting Sif with child so quickly. Loki didn’t panic, for he knew Hogun wouldn’t make a fuss about Sif marrying him because she was pregnant. If someone could keep a secret, it was Hogun. As for Fandral, he was astounded, but all the same as Thor, he had congratulated Loki for such an accomplishment.

The entire Realm rejoiced upon the news once Sif’s belly began to show. A young prince was most welcome in Asgard, even if it wasn’t the son of the First Prince. Regardless, many people pointed out to Thor that, given his enthusiasm about becoming an uncle, he might want to start looking for a wife of his own. He always laughed the notion away, but Loki suspected his brother truly was considering taking a wife so he could become a father just as Loki would be soon.

They visited Eir often, to make sure everything was progressing smoothly. Frigga attended several visits with them, and she asked the healer many questions that neither Loki nor Sif had considered until then. She was, without a doubt, the most helpful person throughout Sif’s pregnancy. In fact, if it hadn’t been for her, Loki wondered if Sif and him would be together at all. Perhaps his mother hadn’t quite seen the future when she spoke to him back when he had been troubled by Sif’s harsh words. Perhaps she had known, instead, that Loki had only required a push so he could have a relationship with the woman he loved. Perhaps she had spoken to Sif to appease her, so she would have known better than to assume Loki would only be with her out of obligation.

For if there was anything forcing Loki to stand by Sif, it was the unwavering love he felt for her. Night by night they held each other in their arms as they slept. He would never fail to ask her if he could assist her in any way, even in the most meaningless tasks. Sif would roll her eyes at his chivalrous behavior, despite finding it quite endearing, and she would often do everything herself while Loki complained about how she never allowed him to do anything for her. Even so, he was as considerate towards his wife as he could be. Whenever Sif felt sore he would read some of his favorite books aloud for her, and Sif was always fascinated and soothed by the sound of his voice.

The only part where Loki fell short was when it came to the baby in itself. When Eir showed him the spark of life that was his son, he seemed to start realizing what being a father truly meant. Sif noticed he was uneasy about it his impending fatherhood, and every time she tried to speak with him he would attempt to brush the matter off. More often than not he gave her a reassuring smile that wasn’t reassuring at all and said Sif was right no matter what she was saying, and Sif knew better than to believe he was being truthful when he said those words. He merely didn’t want to deal with the matter because he feared he might not make as great a father as he believed Sif’s son deserved.

But if his performance as a husband was any indication, Sif was certain he would excel as a father. Yet there was nothing anyone could say to convince Loki of it. For a prince, he was awfully insecure about himself, to Sif’s confusion. Nevertheless, she believed he would come around eventually. Once their son was born, Loki would know better than to continue doubting his abilities as a father. For all doubts could easily be set aside once he met his son in person and discovered if he truly had any talent as a father or not.

To Sif, it already felt like she knew her son, despite not having held him in her arms yet. She would often speak to him, caressing her womb and talking to him about how foolish his father was in so many regards. Yet telling the child, all the same, that she loved that fool with more strength than she believed possible. What she had once believed was only a fleeting infatuation, had turned into the affair she never had thought she’d have… and now they were married. Now they were going to have their baby. And while such notions would have bored a younger Sif, one who would have gladly rushed into battle to return to Asgard covered in blood after violent wars instead of staying home with a husband and a baby, nowadays she was actually fond of the second idea. She was partial towards believing that it had a lot to do with who the husband and the baby in question were… for if it weren’t Loki, she doubted she would be as happy as she was.

Preparations for the child’s birth were made once Sif was already reaching the final weeks of her pregnancy. Loki became visibly agitated by then, constantly fussing over everything and lashing out at a lot of people when things didn’t go his way… but never at Sif. With her, he was as kind as he could be. Too kind, actually. At times his attitude bothered Sif, and she was the one who lashed out at him. Loki never understood that, but he did his very best to remain on her good side. Frigga spoke to him often about how difficult it was to carry a child, so Loki knew that, no matter how hard it might become, he had to support Sif to the bitter end. She had chosen to keep the baby, and he had chosen to stay by her side. He wasn’t going back on his vows to her, not now, not ever.

Yet he almost felt tempted to go back on them by the time of the birth. Sif was holding his hand when the child was about to come into the world, and while she made immense efforts to give birth to Loki’s son, she also broke Loki’s hand and made him scream along with her. Eir was actually quite amused, for not often did she see a couple that accompanied each other even in their pain as the pair of them did.

Frigga was the one to pull Loki away so she could assess the damage to his hand, while Sif was handed her son, at long last. She could barely believe he was being born while all of Asgard rejoiced during Yule’s festivities. Only Frigga, Loki and Eir were in the healing chambers with her, making sure the child was born safely.

Thor and Odin had to lead the festivities, but Frigga would soon join them to let them know everything had gone well. In the meantime, Eir was busy curing Sif after her difficult ordeal with the help of a healing stone, with which Sif’s pain was appeased quickly. It amused Eir to need to use one on Loki as well, but she did so with a smile on her face while Loki fumed.

“How about you stop being so moody and come to meet your son already?” Sif asked, fully recovered now and looking at Loki with amusement as she held their child in her arms.

“I… suppose I could,” he said, with a grimace, while Sif laughed.

“For crying out loud, Loki, you’re going to begrudge me for what happened just now? I just gave birth to your child, you have no right to complain about anything.”

“B-but you broke my hand,” Loki grumbled, knowing already that his complaints would be ignored.

He approached and stood beside her, looking at the small creature in awe and disbelief. For Sif to have carried that child for nine months, and on top of it all, birthed him just now… it was a baffling concept to him.

The baby whimpered a little and Sif shushed him while holding him close and rocking him gently.

“There, there. Everything’s alright. That man over there? It’s your father, no less. Want to meet him?”

Loki grimaced at the idea, but Sif didn’t notice it. She simply smiled at the child before gesturing at him to come closer.

“Sif, I really don’t think this is…”

“Hush. Just hold him for a moment, it will be fine,” she said, smiling at him.

Loki wasn’t certain it would be fine, but he leaned down regardless and allowed Sif to hand the baby over to him. She made sure Loki would hold his head right before moving away, and letting Loki keep the baby pressed to his chest.

In that very moment, as he looked at the small child in his arms, Loki forgot his doubts. He was truly small. He had dark, thin hairs growing on the very top of his head, and his face was flushed after crying as hard as he had when he had been brought into the outside world. As he detailed his son, Loki could only smile. He was truly a father now. The child had been born, and it was right here, in his arms. It was small, grumpy and fragile… The boy whimpered a little again, and Loki just looked at him in amazement.

“He is… so small,” he muttered, and Sif smiled.

“Indeed,” she said, as he took his seat beside her. She dropped her head on his shoulder, smiling at the baby. “It’s hard to believe we made him, isn’t it?”

“Well, I fear making him was the easiest part,” Loki admitted, with a grin of his own. “Are you ready for the crying, and the diapers? And how he’ll likely put everything he finds in his mouth?”

“Not if he’s like you, he won’t. Everything will be worth observing, never touching,” said Sif, and Loki frowned. “That’s what Frigga said about you. She told me Thor did try to put everything in his mouth, but not you.”

“Huh. I did not know that,” Loki admitted, and Sif chuckled before kissing his shoulder.

“And yes, I am ready for all this baby will bring us,” she said. “Or at least, I hope to be. There is only one thing we weren’t ready for, though, Loki.”

“And what is that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why, a name,” Sif responded, with a weak grin, and Loki grimaced before they both laughed.

“Well, isn’t that ridiculous,” he muttered, as Sif sighed happily. “All that time to prepare, and we never thought about names for him. What would you like to call him?”

Sif smiled for a moment, reaching out to touch the baby’s soft dark hairs. She had looked up names before, but had never settled on one, for she believed she would know the best name once she saw her son. And one of those names returned to her just now…

“Ullr, perhaps?” she asked Loki, and Loki raised an eyebrow.

“Ullr?” he repeated. “Well… it could do. I believe it means ‘glory’, does it not?”

“Does it?” Sif asked, amused “Well, he looks glorious, don’t you think?”

Loki actually didn’t think so, but he didn’t dare speak his mind, smiling at the baby as he was. The child’s brow was furrowed, his lips pressed together on a pout as he moved his hands around aimlessly.

“If anything, I thought it sounded as a suitable name for a child who was conceived thanks to snow,” said Sif, smiling, “And one who was born in the warmth of winter as well.”

Loki smiled and nodded at Sif before leaning towards her to kiss her lips softly.

“Ullr it is,” he said, just as the baby’s whimpering started to escalate into crying again, just as it had been when he had come out of his mother’s womb

“Now, now, come here, don’t cry like your father did,” Sif said, taking Ullr in her hands again while Loki looked at her, almost offended.

“I did not cry, Sif,” he said, with a weak smile.

“Ah, no need to put on your act, Loki, both Ullr and I love you no matter if you cry when you see your son being born,” she said, smirking

Loki would have continued to bicker with her about that, but he couldn’t hold back a smile upon hearing her say she loved him. They didn’t speak the words too often, but they both knew how they felt towards the other. They both basked in the love they shared. The love they would share with their newborn son from now on.

* * *

“Mom, mom, look! Come and look!”

The happy voice at the other side of the door woke Sif as she slept curled around Loki. She groaned weakly, noticing their daughter’s voice hadn’t been enough to wake Loki, but she knew all too well that, as soon as the little girl climbed on the bed, he would be forced to forsake his dreams and return to reality, whether he liked it or not…

As expected, the door flew open with a blast and a small figure jumped on the bed brusquely, startling Loki and making him sit upright with his eyes open wide, startled by the sudden intrusion. Sif actually chuckled at the sight as he looked down to recognize Einmyria, who pranced on his lap with a huge smile on her face.

“Daddy, you too!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.

Loki was still startled, and he blinked a couple of times before hugging his daughter back and giving her a gentle smile.

“Well, good morning to you, Einmyria,” he said, and she giggled happily.

“Morning, daddy,” she said, as Sif sat as well and caressed the girl’s hair. She turned towards her mother now and beamed. “Morning, mom!”

“Aren’t you riled up this morning, little one,” said Sif, before leaning down to kiss her daughter’s brow.

“When is she not?” Loki asked, as Einmyria climbed off his lap to look at Sif expectantly.

“Mom, I just looked out the window!” she exclaimed happily. “It’s snowing, mom!”

“Really, now?” said Sif, raising her eyebrows and smiling as well. “How about that.”

“Can I go outside, mom, pleeeeeeease?!” she squeaked, looking at her mother with hopeful eyes just as another shape appeared at the room’s threshold.

“I tried to keep her out of your room…” the girl’s older brother mused, softly. “But she didn’t listen to me.”

Sif smiled as she looked at Ullr, who had his trademark guilty expression on his face. His dark hair framed his blue eyes, so much like his younger sister’s, whose hair was just as dark as Ullr’s, yet while his was straight, hers was curly. And while Einmyria was constantly spending all her energies through the day, doing things nobody even imagined a four-year-old could do, Ullr was a well-behaved young man, who was always quite courteous and formal, even with his parents. He was often doing his best to keep Einmyria to her best behavior, as to spare their parents from the girl’s mischievous habits, but it was easier said than done. Einmyria was as troublesome as Loki had been as a child, but she was far more reckless about it than her father had ever been.

Therefore, whenever she was excited about something, all her three family members knew better than to take it lightly. As of now she might want to play in snow, but if the urge hit her, she might start a snow fight with the kitchen staff, for instance, and make a mess of today’s dinner by throwing snowballs at the food and cooks merely because she would find it amusing to do so. There was also the likelihood of her attempting to build a snowman and winding up with a massive structure half the size of the Palace. And the norns forbid she imbued it with magic, as she often did to her favorite creations…

All this and more crossed Loki’s mind as he heard Einmyria squeal happily about the snow, while Sif greeted Ullr kindly. The boy’s eyes glowed now as he looked at his mother.

“Did you sleep well, Ullr?” Sif asked him, and the boy nodded before Einmyria answered instead.

“I did, I did! My bed was warm and cozy,” she said, smiling. “But I like mom and daddy’s bed better. But right now we have to go to the snow, mom! We do, we do!”

“She’s been talking about it since she saw the snow outside,” Ullr muttered.

“It’s so much snow!” Einmyria exclaimed. “I want to play, mom, can I? Pleeeease?”

“Well…” said Sif, looking at Loki sideways for a moment. Both of them were still rather drowsy and they could use a moment to themselves if only to relax before getting ready to face the snowy day with their children.

“You will be allowed to play,” Loki stated, and Einmyria’s eyes widened as she stared at him with joy. “But you must dress up appropriately for it. Find your coat and boots, and wait until we’re ready too, Einmyria. Will you do that?”

“I can, I will!” she exclaimed, before rushing off the bed and running to the door, where she almost crashed against Ullr due to her excitement. Her brother pouted at her as he got out of the way, and she turned around towards him to squeal, “Sorry!” before racing away to her room.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” said Ullr, with a dramatic sigh. He was already dressed in warm clothes, unlike his sister who was still in her pajamas. Ullr liked to be independent and to prove to his parents that he was capable of looking after himself, most unlike his younger sister.

“Thank you, Ullr,” Loki said, smiling as the boy left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sif sighed heavily and looked at Loki with a subtle smile on her face. Loki returned the stare and grimaced a little before she chuckled and leaned forward to kiss his lips softly.

“Good morning to you too, my Prince,” she whispered, and he smirked.

“And to my Princess too,” he said, taking her into his arms while Sif rolled her eyes.

“Calling me by my name would suffice, I’ve said it countless times…”

“Ah, but if you married a Prince, it makes you a Princess, does it not?” Loki teased her, and Sif sighed before giving him a meaningful stare and pushing him away, to Loki’s amusement.

They dressed up together, helping each other as they often did whenever Einmyria wasn’t around. Exchanging kisses and teasing one another to no end, they left the room hand in hand and walked through the Palace in hopes to find their mischief-makers before they wrecked any havoc in Asgard. Knowing Einmyria, it was probably too late for them to prevent that already.

Yet someone else had stalled Einmyria, delaying the imminent chaos she would bring upon the realm on this new day. Someone who was currently buttoning her coat after helping her get dressed. The little girl had come rushing through the hallways and bumped into her grandmother accidentally, and Frigga had taken it upon herself to look after Einmyria for now.

“Mother?” Loki said, smiling at Frigga as Ullr stood beside his sister, ever the responsible older brother who was making sure she wouldn’t cause trouble for their grandmother.

“Ah, Loki, I was about to go look for you,” said Frigga, smiling and standing up straight. “Good morning to you both. I trust you slept well?”

“Well enough,” Sif said, smiling while intertwining her fingers with Loki’s. “I see you found our little troublemaker...”

“She was telling me all about how you both promised to play in the snow with her,” Frigga said, smiling.

“I want Ullr to teach me how to ski!” Einmyria squealed, holding onto her brother’s arm while Ullr grimaced.

“What? I don’t want to teach you…” he complained, but when his mother smiled approvingly he froze. Loki chuckled, knowing that, if Sif wanted Ullr to do it, Ullr would comply right away. The boy loved his mother dearly, and every time he had a chance to make her smile, he would take it right away. Just as his father often did.

“Now, now, be a good boy and play with your sister” said Frigga, and Ullr sighed.

“It’s quite a nice day out, even with all the snow,” Loki admitted, gazing out the window. “Make sure not to take her anywhere risky, Ullr. She’s only learning after all.”

“I want to be as good as Ullr at skiing!” Einmyria said, giggling and looking at Ullr with amazement.

Ullr sighed again and nodded, still unwilling to comply with his sister but knowing he’d have no choice. Sif smiled kindly as he groaned and brushed Einmyria away before saying:

“Fine. I can show you how to do it…” and with that, Einmyria jumped at him and hugged him tightly, to Ullr’s chagrin. “No! Get off, Einmyria!”

“Ullr is the best!” she exclaimed happily. “I love you!”

“Cut it out!” Ullr groaned, blushing and pushing Einmyria away. “Stop it or I won’t do anything!”

“Oh…” said Einmyria, pulling away but still looking at Ullr mischievously. “Okay, I stopped. Can we go ski now?”

“I guess,” Ullr sighed in resignation for the millionth time that day before conjuring his set of skis and another one for his sister as well, who was excited upon the sight of Ullr using magic and the skis.

“They’re so pretty!” she exclaimed, taking the shorter, wooden skis in her hands while Loki smiled approvingly at Ullr.

“Quite a creation charm you cast there, Ullr. Good job.”

Ullr smiled weakly at his father, but he was quite proud of his accomplishment as well. Having Loki’s approval had always meant much for the young man.

“Well, then, off you go. Take good care of yourselves, both of you,” said Sif, ushering the children towards the tall doors that led to one of Asgard Palace’s gardens, which was covered in snow at the moment. “Start easy, Ullr! And be patient, will you?”

“I’ll try,” Ullr replied, as both him and Einmyria ran towards the garden.

“What sort of chaos shall they bring upon Asgard today, I wonder?” said Frigga, watching the children as they stopped at the edge of the snow-covered garden in order to put on their skis. Ullr shifted towards his sister to help her strap hers on properly.

“No need to worry, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” Sif said, smiling. “If there’s something they took after their father in, it’s in their mischievous deeds.”

“Why, are you implying I was a troublemaker, Sif? What in the name of Yggdrasil, makes you say such a thing?” Loki said, sarcastically.

“I am implying you are still a troublemaker, as a matter of fact,” said Sif, kissing his cheek and making Loki smirk proudly. Frigga smiled at them and caressed her son’s shoulder gently.

“I believe I should take my leave now that you both are here to look after them,” said Frigga. “Surely your father needs me, Loki.”

“Surely. He is ever helpless without you,” Loki smirked.

“As you are without Sif,” Frigga said, and Loki nodded.

“We all know it is so,” he declared, squeezing his wife’s hand and making her laugh softly.

“Do your best to keep those two to their best behavior, if possible,” said Frigga, smiling and kissing Loki on the cheek before embracing Sif.

With that, she took her leave for the time being, and Loki and Sif were left to watch their children struggle with skis in the small garden. Einmyria was walking quite awkwardly, with the two unusual wooden planks that were attached to them. To her parents, she looked like a small duckling struggling to make sense out of her footing while Ullr told her what to do to keep her balance.

“Well, this should be fun,” said Sif, with a weak grin. “Our skiing prodigy teaching his reckless sister how to ski… I can already hear Einmyria shouting for us whenever something goes wrong.”

“Already?” Loki said, amused. “Here I thought you would indulge in the hopes that things would work out well with those two for once.”

“I have forsaken such hopes since long ago, Loki, and you know it,” Sif said, laughing. “They’re wonderful children, but they are quite a handful, especially when they’re together.”

“I won’t deny that,” Loki agreed, letting go of her hand to surround Sif’s shoulders with an arm. “Nonetheless… I have the feeling snow can bring about good things even when you’re only expecting the worst of it.”

“Oh, really?” said Sif, raising her eyebrows with amusement.

“Why, yes, really,” said Loki, smirking at her. “For it was snow that brought us together in the first place, Sif. It was that snow storm that allowed us to stand here today, watching our two children as we are. So I think you could give snow a chance. It might surprise you.”

“It might indeed,” said Sif, smiling and looking at Loki before leaning forward to kiss him softly. Loki responded the gesture kindly, holding her closer…

“Mom! Daddy! Look, Ullr, they’re kissing!” Einmyria exclaimed suddenly, interrupting the moment of peace her parents were sharing.

“Ugh, gross! Stop doing that!” Ullr squealed, losing focus when his sister pointed at Loki and Sif, who stopped kissing indeed, knowing Ullr would kick a ruckus for it.

But while Ullr was grimacing at the sight of his parents, Einmyria pushed herself forward with her skis for the first time… and she ended up crashing against her brother fully this time, knocking them both to the snowy ground.

“Ow! Einmyria!”

“Sorry!”

Sif’s eyebrow twitched and she looked at Loki skeptically, as he smiled guiltily.

“And perhaps even snow won’t prove to be enough to keep those two at bay,” he said, admitting defeat as Sif smiled at him.

“No, I don’t think anything ever will. But we love them for it after all,” Sif laughed, before guiding Loki towards where the two children currently were arguing, for Einmyria claimed Ullr should have seen her coming while Ullr growled that she had to be more careful.

As they both tried to settle the argument between their children, Loki couldn’t help but be marveled by the situation. And not just by the situation, but by what his life had unexpectedly turned into when he had never even dared dream of it. He had married Sif, and now the two of them were raising these two feisty, unruly but wonderful children they loved dearly. And it was amazing, truly, to realize that everything he had come to love about his life had been spawned from that one unforeseen day of snow where he had discovered the warmth of winter.


End file.
